Case C-407/08 P: Judgment of the Court (Second Chamber) of 1 July 2010 — Knauf Gips KG, formerly Gebrüder Knauf Westdeutsche Gipswerke KG v European Commission (Appeal — Agreements, decisions and concerted practices — Plasterboard — Access to the file — Inculpatory and exculpatory evidence — Concept of ‘undertaking’ — Economic unit — Company responsible for the economic unit’s actions — Argument raised for the first time during the judicial proceedings)
Date: 2010-07-01
Institutions: Court of Justice
Subjects: Germany, appeal, equal treatment, fine, infringement of EU law, plaster








C_2010234EN.01000602.xml










28.8.2010   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 234/6





Judgment of the Court (Second Chamber) of 1 July 2010 — Knauf Gips KG, formerly Gebrüder Knauf Westdeutsche Gipswerke KG v European Commission
(Case C-407/08 P) (1)

(Appeal - Agreements, decisions and concerted practices - Plasterboard - Access to the file - Inculpatory and exculpatory evidence - Concept of ‘undertaking’ - Economic unit - Company responsible for the economic unit’s actions - Argument raised for the first time during the judicial proceedings)
2010/C 234/09
Language of the case: German

Parties


Appellant: Knauf Gips KG, formerly Gebrüder Knauf Westdeutsche Gipswerke KG (represented by: M. Klusmann and S. Thomas, Rechtsanwälte)

Other party to the proceedings: European Commission (represented by: F. Castillo de la Torre and R. Sauer, Agents)

Re:

Appeal against the judgment of the Court of First Instance (Third Chamber) of 8 July 2008 in Case T-52/03 Knauf Gips v Commission dismissing the action for annulment of Commission Decision 2005/471/EC of 27 November 2002 relating to proceedings under Article 81 of the EC Treaty against BPB PLC, Gebrüder Knauf Westdeutsche Gipswerke KG, Société Lafarge SA and Gyproc Benelux NV (Case COMP/E-1/37.152 — Plasterboard (OJ 2005 L 166, p. 8), or, in the alternative, for reduction of the fine imposed on the appellant — Cartel on the plasterboard market — Failure to take into account a breach of the rights of the defence during the administrative procedure — Infringement of the ‘in dubio pro reo’ principle — Taking into account, for the purpose of calculating the amount of the fine, the turnover of undertakings that do not form part of the same economic unit as the appellant

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:






1.


Sets aside the judgment of 8 July 2008 of the Court of First Instance of the European Communities in Case T-52/03 Knauf Gips v Commission in so far as it imputes to Knauf Gips KG liability for the infringements committed by the companies constituting the Knauf Group;










2.


Dismisses the rest of the appeal;










3.


Dismisses the action brought by Knauf Gips KG for annulment of Commission Decision 2005/471/EC of 27 November 2007 relating to proceedings under Article 81 of the EC Treaty against BPB PLC, Gebrüder Knauf Westdeutsche Gipswerke KG, Société Lafarge SA and Gyproc Benelux NV (Case No COMP/E-1/37.152 — Plasterboard);










4.


Orders each party to bear its own costs relating to the appeal and Knauf Gips KG to pay all the costs at first instance.






(1)  OJ C 313, 6.12.2008.