Case T-418/10: Judgment of the General Court of 15 July 2015 — voestalpine and voestalpine Wire Rod Austria v Commission (Competition — Agreements, decisions and concerted practices — European prestressing steel market — Price fixing, market sharing and exchanging of sensitive commercial information — Single, complex and continuous infringement — Agency contract — Imputability of the unlawful conduct of the agent to the principal — Lack of knowledge of the agent’s unlawful conduct by the principal — Participation in an aspect of the infringement and awareness of the overall plan — 2006 Guidelines on the method of setting fines — Proportionality — Principle that penalties must fit the offence — Unlimited jurisdiction)
Date: 2015-07-15
Institutions: General Court
Subjects: cartel, competition, exchange of information, fine, market-sharing agreement, price agreement, sales representative, steel, trade information








C_2015302EN.01003702.xml










14.9.2015   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 302/37





Judgment of the General Court of 15 July 2015 — voestalpine and voestalpine Wire Rod Austria v Commission
(Case T-418/10) (1)

((Competition - Agreements, decisions and concerted practices - European prestressing steel market - Price fixing, market sharing and exchanging of sensitive commercial information - Single, complex and continuous infringement - Agency contract - Imputability of the unlawful conduct of the agent to the principal - Lack of knowledge of the agent’s unlawful conduct by the principal - Participation in an aspect of the infringement and awareness of the overall plan - 2006 Guidelines on the method of setting fines - Proportionality - Principle that penalties must fit the offence - Unlimited jurisdiction))
(2015/C 302/47)
Language of the case: German

Parties


Applicants: voestalpine AG (Linz, Austria); and voestalpine Wire Rod Austria GmbH, formerly voestalpine Austria Draht GmbH (Sankt Peter-Freienstein, Austria) (represented by: A. Ablasser-Neuhuber, G. Fussenegger, U. Denzel and M. Mayer, lawyers)

Defendant: European Commission (represented by: R. Sauer, V. Bottka, C. Hödlmayr, Agents, and R. Van der Hout, lawyer)

Re:

Application for annulment and alteration of Commission Decision C(2010) 4387 final of 30 June 2010 relating to a proceeding under Article 101 TFEU and Article 53 of the EEA Agreement (case COMP/38344 — Prestressing Steel), amended by Commission Decision C(2010) 6676 final of 30 September 2010, and by Commission Decision C(2011) 2269 final of 4 April 2011.

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:






1.


Annuls Article 2(5) of Commission Decision C(2010) 4387 final of 30 June 2010 relating to a proceeding under Article 101 TFEU and Article 53 of the EEA Agreement (case COMP/38344 — Prestressing Steel), amended by Commission Decision C(2010) 6676 final of 30 September 2010, and by Commission Decision C(2011) 2269 final of 4 April 2011;










2.


Reduces the fine imposed jointly and severally on voestalpine AG and voestalpine Wire Rod Austria GmbH from EUR 22 million to EUR 7,5 million;










3.


Dismisses the action as to the remainder;










4.


Orders the European Commission to bear its own costs and to pay two thirds of the costs of voestalpine and voestalpine Wire Rod Austria;










5.


Orders Voestalpine and voestalpine Wire Rod Austria to bear one third of their own costs.






(1)  OJ C 301, 6.11.2010.