Case C-746/21 P: Judgment of the Court (Third Chamber) of 9 November 2023 — Altice Group Lux Sàrl, previously New Altice Europe BV, in liquidation v European Commission, Council of the European Union (Appeal — Competition — Control of concentrations between undertakings — Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 — Plea of illegality — Article 4(1) — Prior notification obligation for concentrations — Article 7(1) — Concentration standstill obligation — Scope — Concept of the ‘implementation’ of a concentration — Article 14(2) — Decision imposing fines for implementing a concentration before its notification and clearance — Obligation to state reasons — Principle of proportionality — Unlimited jurisdiction)
Date: 2023-11-09
Institutions: Court of Justice
Subjects: EU competition policy, economic concentration, exchange of information, merger control, principle of legal certainty, principle of proportionality, sanction (EU), telecommunications








C_202400441EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
Series C













C/2024/441


3.1.2024





Judgment of the Court (Third Chamber) of 9 November 2023 — Altice Group Lux Sàrl, previously New Altice Europe BV, in liquidation v European Commission, Council of the European Union
(Case C-746/21 P) (1)

(Appeal - Competition - Control of concentrations between undertakings - Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 - Plea of illegality - Article 4(1) - Prior notification obligation for concentrations - Article 7(1) - Concentration standstill obligation - Scope - Concept of the ‘implementation’ of a concentration - Article 14(2) - Decision imposing fines for implementing a concentration before its notification and clearance - Obligation to state reasons - Principle of proportionality - Unlimited jurisdiction)
(C/2024/441)
Language of the case: English

Parties


Appellant: Altice Group Lux Sàrl, previously New Altice Europe BV, in liquidation (represented by: R. Allendesalazar Corcho and H. Brokelmann, abogados)

Other parties to the proceedings: European Commission (represented initially by: M. Domecq, M. Farley and F. Jimeno Fernández, and subsequently by M. Domecq and M. Farley, acting as Agents), Council of the European Union (represented by: A.-L. Meyer and M. O. Segnana, acting as Agents)

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:






1.


Sets aside point 1 of the operative part of the judgment of the General Court of the European Union of 22 September 2021, Altice Europe v Commission (T-425/18, EU:T:2021:607);










2.


Sets aside point 2 of the operative part of the judgment of the General Court of the European Union of 22 September 2021, Altice Europe v Commission (T-425/18, EU:T:2021:607) to the extent that it rejects the application for the annulment of Article 4 of Commission Decision C(2018) 2418 final of 24 April 2018 imposing a fine for putting into effect a concentration in breach of Article 4(1) and Article 7(1) of Council Regulation (EC) No 139/2004 (Case M.7993 — Altice/PT Portugal);










3.


Dismisses the appeal as to the remainder;










4.


Annuls Article 4 of Commission Decision C(2018) 2418 final;










5.


Fixes the amount of the fine imposed on Altice Group Lux Sàrl in respect of the infringement found in Article 2 of Decision C(2018) 2418 final at EUR 52 912 500;










6.


Orders Altice Group Lux Sàrl to bear, in addition to its own costs, five sixths of the costs incurred by the European Commission in the proceedings at first instance and on appeal;










7.


Orders the European Commission to pay one sixth of its own costs incurred in the proceedings at first instance and on appeal;










8.


Orders the Council of the European Union to bear its own costs incurred in the proceedings at first instance and on appeal.






(1)  
            OJ C 119, 14.3.2022.


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/441/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)