Case T-341/17: Judgment of the General Court of 30 March 2022 — British Airways v Commission (Competition — Agreements, decisions and concerted practices — Market for airfreight — Decision finding an infringement of Article 101 TFEU, Article 53 of the EEA Agreement and Article 8 of the Agreement between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation on Air Transport — Coordination of elements of the price of air freight services (fuel surcharge, security surcharge, payment of commission on surcharges) — Exchange of information — Territorial jurisdiction of the Commission — Obligation to state reasons — Article 266 TFEU — State coercion — Single and continuous infringement — Amount of the fine — Value of sales — Duration of participation in the infringement — Mitigating circumstances — Encouragement of anticompetitive conduct by public authorities — Unlimited jurisdiction)
Date: 2022-03-30
Institutions: General Court
Subjects: additional duty, air transport, carriage of goods, cartel, control of restrictive practices, exchange of information, jurisdiction, price agreement, sanction (EU)








C_2022207EN.01002901.xml










23.5.2022   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


C 207/29






Judgment of the General Court of 30 March 2022 — British Airways v Commission
(Case T-341/17) (1)

(Competition - Agreements, decisions and concerted practices - Market for airfreight - Decision finding an infringement of Article 101 TFEU, Article 53 of the EEA Agreement and Article 8 of the Agreement between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation on Air Transport - Coordination of elements of the price of air freight services (fuel surcharge, security surcharge, payment of commission on surcharges) - Exchange of information - Territorial jurisdiction of the Commission - Obligation to state reasons - Article 266 TFEU - State coercion - Single and continuous infringement - Amount of the fine - Value of sales - Duration of participation in the infringement - Mitigating circumstances - Encouragement of anticompetitive conduct by public authorities - Unlimited jurisdiction)
(2022/C 207/38)
Language of the case: English

Parties


Applicant: British Airways plc (Harmondsworth, United Kingdom) (represented by: J. Turner, R. O’Donoghue QC, and A. Lyle-Smythe, Solicitor)

Defendant: European Commission (represented by: N. Khan and A. Dawes, acting as Agents, and A. Bates, Barrister)

Re:

Application under Article 263 TFEU for annulment of Commission Decision C(2017) 1742 final of 17 March 2017 relating to a proceeding under Article 101 TFEU, Article 53 of the EEA Agreement and Article 8 of the Agreement between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation on Air Transport (Case AT.39258 — Airfreight) in so far as it relates to the applicant and, in the alternative, for cancellation of the fine imposed on the applicant or for a reduction in the amount thereof.

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:






1.


Annuls Article 1(1)(e), (2)(e) and (3)(e) of Commission Decision C(2017) 1742 final of 17 March 2017 relating to a proceeding under Article 101 TFEU, Article 53 of the EEA Agreement and Article 8 of the Agreement between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation on Air Transport (Case AT.39258 — Airfreight) in so far as it finds that British Airways plc participated in the component of the single and continuous infringement relating to the refusal to pay commission on surcharges;










2.


Annuls Article 1(4)(e) of Decision C(2017) 1742 final;










3.


Sets the amount of the fine imposed on British Airways under Article 3(e) of Decision C(2017) 1742 final at EUR 84 456 000;










4.


Dismisses the action as to the remainder;










5.


Orders the European Commission to bear its own costs and to pay one third of the costs incurred by British Airways;










6.


Orders British Airways to bear two thirds of its own costs.






(1)  OJ C 239, 24.7.2017.