Case C-536/11: Judgment of the Court (First Chamber) of 6 June 2013 (request for a preliminary ruling from the Oberlandesgericht Wien — Austria) — Bundeswettbewerbsbehörde v Donau Chemie AG, Donauchem GmbH, DC Druck-Chemie Süd GmbH & Co KG, Brenntag Austria Holding GmbH, Brenntag CEE GmbH, ASK Chemicals GmbH, formerly Ashland-Südchemie-Kernfest GmbH, ASK Chemicals Austria GmbH, formerly Ashland Südchemie Hantos GmbH (Competition — Access to the file — Judicial proceedings relating to fines for infringement of Article 101 TFEU — Third-party undertakings wishing to bring an action for damages — National rules making access to the file subject to the consent of all parties to the proceedings — Principle of effectiveness)
Date: 2013-06-06
Institutions: Court of Justice
Subjects: cartel, damages, national law, provision of documents








C_2013252EN.01001101.xml










31.8.2013   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 252/11





Judgment of the Court (First Chamber) of 6 June 2013 (request for a preliminary ruling from the Oberlandesgericht Wien — Austria) — Bundeswettbewerbsbehörde v Donau Chemie AG, Donauchem GmbH, DC Druck-Chemie Süd GmbH & Co KG, Brenntag Austria Holding GmbH, Brenntag CEE GmbH, ASK Chemicals GmbH, formerly Ashland-Südchemie-Kernfest GmbH, ASK Chemicals Austria GmbH, formerly Ashland Südchemie Hantos GmbH
(Case C-536/11) (1)

(Competition - Access to the file - Judicial proceedings relating to fines for infringement of Article 101 TFEU - Third-party undertakings wishing to bring an action for damages - National rules making access to the file subject to the consent of all parties to the proceedings - Principle of effectiveness)
2013/C 252/16
Language of the case: German

Referring court

Oberlandesgericht Wien

Parties to the main proceedings


Applicant: Bundeswettbewerbsbehörde

Defendants: Donau Chemie AG, Donauchem GmbH, DC Druck-Chemie Süd GmbH & Co KG, Brenntag Austria Holding GmbH, Brenntag CEE GmbH, ASK Chemicals GmbH, formerly Ashland-Südchemie-Kernfest GmbH, ASK Chemicals Austria GmbH, formerly Ashland Südchemie Hantos GmbH

In the presence of: Bundeskartellamt, Verband Druck und Medientechnik

Re:

Reference for a preliminary ruling — Oberlandesgericht Wien — Interpretation of provisions of European Union law relating to cartels — Access to the file — National legislation whereby, in administrative proceedings relating to competition, access to the file by third parties is subject to the consent of all parties to the proceedings and there is no weighing of all competing interests, whereas such weighing does take place in respect of access to the file in comparable civil and criminal proceedings

Operative part of the judgment

European Union law, in particular the principle of effectiveness, precludes a provision of national law under which access to documents forming part of the file relating to national proceedings concerning the application of Article 101 TFEU, including access to documents made available under a leniency programme, by third parties who are not party to those proceedings with a view to bringing an action for damages against participants in an agreement or concerted practice is made subject solely to the consent of all the parties to those proceedings, without leaving any possibility for the national courts of weighing up the interests involved.


(1)  OJ C 13, 14.1.2012.