Case T-541/08: Judgment of the General Court of 11 July 2014  — Sasol and Others v Commission (Competition — Agreements, decisions and concerted practices — Paraffin waxes market — Slack wax market — Decision finding an infringement of Article 81 EC — Price fixing and market sharing — Liability of a parent company for the infringements of the competition rules committed by its subsidiaries and by a joint venture owned in part by it — Decisive influence exercised by the parent company — Presumption where the parent company holds 100 % of the shares — Succession of undertakings — Proportionality — Equal treatment — 2006 Guidelines on the method of setting fines — Aggravating circumstances — Role of leader — Setting a limit on the fine — Unlimited jurisdiction)
Date: 2014-07-11
Institutions: General Court
Subjects: equal treatment, fine, paraffin, parent company, price agreement








C_2014292EN.01002401.xml










1.9.2014   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 292/24





Judgment of the General Court of 11 July 2014 — Sasol and Others v Commission
(Case T-541/08) (1)

((Competition - Agreements, decisions and concerted practices - Paraffin waxes market - Slack wax market - Decision finding an infringement of Article 81 EC - Price fixing and market sharing - Liability of a parent company for the infringements of the competition rules committed by its subsidiaries and by a joint venture owned in part by it - Decisive influence exercised by the parent company - Presumption where the parent company holds 100 % of the shares - Succession of undertakings - Proportionality - Equal treatment - 2006 Guidelines on the method of setting fines - Aggravating circumstances - Role of leader - Setting a limit on the fine - Unlimited jurisdiction))
2014/C 292/29
Language of the case: English

Parties


Applicants: Sasol (Rosebank, South Africa); Sasol Holding in Germany GmbH (Hamburg, Germany); Sasol Wax International AG (Hamburg); and Sasol Wax GmbH (Hamburg) (represented by: W. Bosch, U. Denzel, C. von Köckritz, lawyers)

Defendant: European Commission (represented by: F. Castillo de la Torre and R. Sauer, Agents, and by M. Gray, Barrister)

Re:

Application, primarily, for annulment in part of the Commission’s decision C(2008) 5476 final of 1 October 2008 relating to a proceeding under Article 81 [EC] and Article 53 of the EEA Agreement (Case COMP/39.181 — Candle waxes) and, in the alternative, for annulment or reduction of the fine imposed on the applicants.

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:






1.


Annuls Article 1 of Commission Decision C(2008) 5476 final of 1 October 2008 relating to a proceeding under Article 81 [EC] and Article 53 of the EEA Agreement (Case COMP/39.181 — Candle Waxes) in so far as the European Commission found therein that Sasol Holding in Germany GmbH and Sasol had participated in the infringement before 1 July 2002;










2.


Reduces the amount of the fine imposed on Sasol Wax GmbH to the sum of EUR 14 9 9 82  197 for the payment of which, first, Sasol Wax International AG shall be jointly and severally liable to the extent of EUR 11 9 1 22  197 and, secondly, Sasol and Sasol Holding in Germany shall be jointly and severally liable to the extent of EUR 7 1 0 42  197;










3.


Dismisses the action as to the remainder;










4.


Orders the Commission to bear its own costs and to pay two thirds of the costs incurred by Sasol, Sasol Holding in Germany, Sasol Wax International and Sasol Wax;










5.


Orders Sasol, Sasol Holding in Germany, Sasol Wax International and Sasol Wax to bear one third of their own costs.






(1)  OJ C 44, 21.2.2009.