Case C-31/23 P: Judgment of the Court (Sixth Chamber) of 4 October 2024 – Ferriere Nord SpA v European Commission, Council of the European Union (Appeal – Competition – Agreements, decisions and concerted practices – Market for concrete reinforcing bars – European Commission Decision finding an infringement of Article 65 CS, after expiry of the ECSC Treaty, on the basis of Regulation (EC) No 1/2003 – Decision taken following the annulment of earlier decisions – New hearing held in the presence of the competition authorities of the Member States – Rights of the defence – Principle of sound administration – Requirement of impartiality – Reasonable time – Obligation to state reasons – Proportionality – Ne bis in idem principle – Plea of illegality – Aggravating circumstances – Repeated infringement – Mitigating circumstances – Equal treatment)
Date: 2024-10-04
Institutions: Court of Justice
Subjects: Italy, bar, cartel, concrete, control of restrictive practices, fixing of prices, price agreement, principle of proportionality, rights of the defence, sanction (EU)








C_202500879EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2025/879


17.2.2025






Judgment of the Court (Sixth Chamber) of 4 October 2024 – Ferriere Nord SpA v European Commission, Council of the European Union


(Case C-31/23 P)
                (1)

(Appeal - Competition - Agreements, decisions and concerted practices - Market for concrete reinforcing bars - European Commission Decision finding an infringement of Article 65 CS, after expiry of the ECSC Treaty, on the basis of Regulation (EC) No 1/2003 - Decision taken following the annulment of earlier decisions - New hearing held in the presence of the competition authorities of the Member States - Rights of the defence - Principle of sound administration - Requirement of impartiality - Reasonable time - Obligation to state reasons - Proportionality - Ne bis in idem principle - Plea of illegality - Aggravating circumstances - Repeated infringement - Mitigating circumstances - Equal treatment)
(C/2025/879)
Language of the case: Italian

Parties


Appellant: Ferriere Nord SpA (represented by: B. Comparini, G. Donà and W. Viscardini, avvocati)

Other parties to the proceedings: European Commission (represented by: G. Conte, P. Rossi and C. Sjödin, acting as Agents, and by M. Moretto, avvocato), Council of the European Union (represented by: E. Ambrosini and 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 9 November 2022, Ferriere Nord v Commission (T-667/19, EU:T:2022:692), in so far as it rejects the complaints of the ninth plea at first instance of Ferriere Nord SpA alleging infringement of the principle of equal treatment;










2.


Dismisses the appeal as to the remainder;










3.


Annuls Article 2(3) of Commission Decision C(2019) 4969 final of 4 July 2019 relating to an infringement of Article 65 of the ECSC Treaty (Case AT.37956 – Reinforcing bars);










4.


Sets the amount of the fine imposed on Ferriere Nord SpA, in Article 2(3) of Decision C(2019) 4969 final, at EUR 2 165 000;










5.


Orders Ferriere Nord SpA and the European Commission to bear their own costs of the proceedings at first instance and of the appeal.






(1)  
            OJ C 94, 13.3.2023.


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/879/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)