CELEX: C1997/026/07
Language: en
Date: 1997-01-25 00:00:00
Title: JUDGMENT OF THE COURT (Fifth Chamber) of 14 November 1996 in Case C-333/94 P: Tetra Pak International SA v. Commission of the European Communities (Appeal - Competition - Dominant position - Definition of the product markets - Application of Article 86 of the Treaty to practices carried out by a dominant undertaking on a market distinct from the dominated market - Tied sales - Predatory prices - Fine)

25 . 1 . 97             1 EN                 Official Journal of the European Communities                                     No C 26/5
       postponed to another date at the will of the transferor                          JUDGMENT OF THE COURT
       or transferee.                                                                          of 26 November 1996
                                                                        in Case C-68/95 ( reference for a preliminary ruling from
(!) OJ No C 386, 31 . 12. 1994 .                                        the Hessischer Verwaltungsgerichtshof): T. Port GmbH &c
( 2 ) OJ No L 61 , 5 . 3 . 1977, p . 26.                                Co .    KG     v.    Bundesanstalt     fur  Landwirtschaft  und
                                                                                                    Ernahrung ( 1 )
                                                                        (Bananas — Common organization of the markets —
                                                                        Import rules — Cases of hardship — Assessment of
                                                                                            validity — Interim measures)
                                                                                                     ( 97/C 26/08 )
                 JUDGMENT OF THE COURT                                                    (Language of the case: German)
                             (Fifth Chamber)
                         of 14 November 1996                               (Provisional translation; the definitive translation will be
                                                                                  published in the European Court Reports)
in Case C-333/94 P: Tetra Pak International SA v.
          Commission of the European Communities 0 )                    In Case C-68/95 : reference to the Court pursuant to
                                                                        Article 177 of the EC Treaty from the Hessischer
 (Appeal — Competition — Dominant position —                            Verwaltungsgerichtshof (Higher Administrative Court,
Definition of the product markets — Application of                      Hesse ), Germany, for a preliminary ruling in the
Article 86 of the Treaty to practices carried out by a                  proceedings pending before that court between T. Port
 dominant undertaking on a market distinct from the                     GmbH & Co . KG and Bundesanstalt fur Landwirtschaft
 dominated market — Tied sales — Predatory prices —                      und Ernahrung, supported by Federal Republic of
                                    Fine)
                                                                         Germany — on the interpretation of Articles 16 and 30 of
                               ( 971C 26/07)                             Council Regulation ( EEC ) No 404/93 of 13 February
                                                                         1993 on the common organization of the market in
                                                                         bananas (2 ), on the validity of Article 19 of that
                                                                         Regulation and on the interpretation of the EC Treaty,
                  (Language of the case: English)                        with particular regard to a national court's power to order
                                                                         interim measures until rules dealing with cases of hardship
                                                                         are adopted — the Court, composed of: G. C. Rodriguez
 In Case C-333/94 P: Tetra Pak International SA, whose                   Iglesias, President, G. F. Mancini, J. C. Moitinho de
 seat is in Pully, Switzerland, represented by Michel                    Almeida ( Rapporteur ), J. L. Murray and L. Sevón
 Waelbroeck and Alexandre Vandencasteele, of the Brussels                ( Presidents of Chambers ), C. N. Kakouris, P. J. G.
 Bar, and by Vivien Rose, Barrister, with an address for                 Kapteyn, C. Gulmann, D. A. O. Edward, J. -P. Puissochet,
 service in Luxembourg at the Chambers of Ernest Arendt,                 G. Hirsch, P. Jann and H. Ragnemalm, Judges; M. B.
  8—10 rue Mathias Hardt — appeal against the judgment                   Elmer, Advocate-General; H. von Holstein , Deputy
  of the Court of First Instance (Second Chamber ) of                    Registrar, for the Registrar, has given a judgment on
  6 October 1994 in Case T-83/91 Tetra Pak v. Commission                 26 November 1996, in which it has ruled :
  [1994] ECR 11-755, seeking to have that judgment set
  aside — the other party to the proceedings being: the                   1 . Article 16 (3) of Council Regulation (EEC) No 404/93
  Commission of the European Communities (Agent: Julian                       of 13 February 1993 on the common organization of
  Currall, assisted by Nicholas Forwood QC ) — the Court                      the market in bananas does not allow the Commission
  (Fifth Chamber), composed of: L. Sevón, President of the                    to lay down rules catering for cases of hardship arising
  First Chamber, acting for the President of the Fifth                        from the fact that importers of third-country bananas
  Chamber, C. Gulmann, D. A. O. Edward, J. -P. Puissochet                     or non-traditional ACP bananas meet difficulties
  and P. Jann ( Rapporteur ), Judges; D. Ruiz-Jarabo                          threatening their existence when an exceptionally low
  Colomer, Advocate-General; L. Hewlett, Administrator,                       quota was allocated to them on the basis of the
  for the Registrar, has given a judgment on 14 November                      reference years to be taken into consideration pursuant
   1996 , in which it:                                                        to Article 19 (2) of the Regulation.
                                                                              Article 30 of Regulation (EEC) No 404/93 authorizes
   1 . Dismisses the appeal.                                                  and, depending on the circumstances, requires the
                                                                               Commission to lay down rules catering for cases of
                                                                               hardship arising from the fact that importers of third-
   2 . Orders the appellant to pay the costs.                                  country bananas or non-traditional ACP bananas
                                                                               meet difficulties threatening their existence when an
                                                                               exceptionally low quota has been allocated to them on
   (') OJ No C 386 , 31 . 12 . 1994 .                                          the basis of the reference years to be taken into
                                                                               consideration pursuant to Article 19 (2) of that
                                                                               Regulation, where those difficulties are inherent in the
                                                                               transition from the national arrangements existing