Case C-255/22 P: Judgment of the Court (Second Chamber) of 26 September 2024 – Orlen S.A., formerly Polski Koncern Naftowy Orlen S.A., formerly Polskie Górnictwo Naftowe i Gazownictwo S.A. v European Commission (Appeal – Competition – Gas markets of Central and Eastern Europe – Article 102 TFEU – Article 54 of the Agreement on the European Economic Area – Abuse of dominant position – Upstream gas supplies in Central and Eastern Europe – Regulation (EC) No 1/2003 – Article 9(1) – Decision of the European Commission to make binding the individual commitments proposed by an undertaking – Action for annulment – Adequacy of those commitments in the light of the competition concerns identified in the statement of objections – Nature of the EU Courts’ power of review – Commission decision not to require commitments in relation to some of the initial concerns – Principle of good administration – Principle of proportionality – Obligation to state reasons – Energy policy objectives of the European Union – Article 194 TFEU – Principle of energy solidarity)
Date: 2024-09-26
Institutions: Court of Justice
Subjects: Central and Eastern European countries, EU competition policy, EU energy policy, control of restrictive practices, dominant position, gas supply, natural gas, principle of proportionality, restrictive trade practice








C_202406613EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2024/6613


11.11.2024






Judgment of the Court (Second Chamber) of 26 September 2024 – Orlen S.A., formerly Polski Koncern Naftowy Orlen S.A., formerly Polskie Górnictwo Naftowe i Gazownictwo S.A. v European Commission


(Case C-255/22 P)
                (1)

(Appeal - Competition - Gas markets of Central and Eastern Europe - Article 102 TFEU - Article 54 of the Agreement on the European Economic Area - Abuse of dominant position - Upstream gas supplies in Central and Eastern Europe - Regulation (EC) No 1/2003 - Article 9(1) - Decision of the European Commission to make binding the individual commitments proposed by an undertaking - Action for annulment - Adequacy of those commitments in the light of the competition concerns identified in the statement of objections - Nature of the EU Courts’ power of review - Commission decision not to require commitments in relation to some of the initial concerns - Principle of good administration - Principle of proportionality - Obligation to state reasons - Energy policy objectives of the European Union - Article 194 TFEU - Principle of energy solidarity)
(C/2024/6613)
Language of the case: Polish

Parties


Appellant: Orlen S.A., formerly Polski Koncern Naftowy Orlen S.A., formerly Polskie Górnictwo Naftowe i Gazownictwo S.A. (represented by: K. Karasiewicz, radca prawny, T. Kaźmierczak, K. Kicun and P. Moskwa, adwokaci)

Other parties to the proceedings: European Commission (represented by: G. Meessen, I. Söderlund and J. Szczodrowski, acting as Agents), Republic of Lithuania, Republic of Poland (represented by: B. Majczyna, K. Rudzińska and S. Żyrek, acting as Agents), Gazprom PJSC, Gazprom export LLC (represented by: E. Borovikov, J. Venit, avocats, J.T. Hainz, J. Karenfort, W. Murzin, Rechtsanwälte, and N. Tuominen, avocată), Overgas Inc. (represented by: S. Cappellari, S. Gröss, N. Jacobi, Rechtsanwälte, and J. Sroczyński, radca prawny)

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:






1.


Dismisses the appeal and the cross-appeal;










2.


Orders Orlen S.A. to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by the European Commission, Gazprom PJSC and Gazprom export LLC in the appeal;










3.


Orders Overgas Inc. to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by the European Commission, Gazprom PJSC and Gazprom export LLC in the cross-appeal;










4.


Orders the Republic of Poland to bear its own costs.






(1)  
            OJ C 266, 11.7.2022.


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/6613/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)