CELEX: 62006TJ0055
Language: en
Date: 2011-11-16 00:00:00
Title: Judgment of the General Court (Fourth Chamber) of 16 November 2011.#RKW SE and JM Gesellschaft für industrielle Beteiligungen mbH & Co. KGaA v European Commission.#Competition - Agreements, decisions and concerted practices - Plastic industrial bags sector - Decision finding an infringement of Article 81 EC - Fines - Guidelines for the calculation of fines - Maximum limit of 10% of turnover - Implementation - Legality - Proportionality - Equal treatment - Single and continuous infringement - Attenuating circumstances - Exclusively passive role - Duty to state reasons - Imputability of unlawful conduct.#Joined cases T-55/06 and T-66/06.

Judgment of the General Court (Fourth Chamber) of 16 November 2011 – RKW and JM Gesellschaft für industrielle Beteiligungen
            v Commission
      (Joined Cases T-55/06 and T-66/06)
      Competition – Agreements, decisions and concerted practices – Plastic industrial bags sector – Decision finding an infringement of Article 81 EC – Fines – Guidelines for the calculation of fines – Maximum limit of 10% of turnover – Implementation – Legality – Proportionality – Equal treatment – Single and continuous infringement – Attenuating circumstances – Exclusively passive role – Duty to state reasons – Imputability of unlawful conduct
      1.                     Competition – Fines – Amount – Determination – Discretion conferred on the Commission by Article 23(2) of Regulation No 1/2003
            – Infringement of the principle that penalties must have a sound legal basis – None (Art. 81(1) EC; Council Regulation No
            1/2003, Art. 23(2); Commission Notice 98/C 9/03) (see paras 19-20)
      2.                     Competition – Fines – Amount – Determination – Principle of equal treatment – Differences between undertakings arising from
            application of the maximum amount – Lawfulness (Art. 81(1) EC; Council Regulation No 1/2003, Art. 23(2); Commission Notice
            98/C 9/03) (see paras 21, 24)
      3.                     Competition – Community rules – Infringements – Fines – Determination – Criteria – Raising of the general level of fines –
            Lawfulness – Conditions – Duty to state reasons – Scope (Arts 81(1) EC and 253 EC; Council Regulation No 1/2003, Art. 23(2);
            Commission Notice 98/C 9/03) (see paras 31-32)
      4.                     Competition – Fines – Amount – Determination – Criteria – Gravity of the infringement – Mitigating circumstances – Passive
            or ‘follow-my-leader’ role of the undertaking – Criteria for assessment (Art. 81(1) EC; Council Regulation No 1/2003, Art.
            23(2); Commission Notice 98/C 9/03, Section 3, first indent) (see paras 81-83, 86-87, 89)
      5.                     Competition – Fines – Amount – Determination – Criteria – Gravity of the infringement – Mitigating circumstances – Termination
            of the infringement after the Commission’s intervention – Margin of discretion of the Commission (Art. 81(1) EC; Council Regulation
            No 1/2003, Art. 23(2); Commission Notice 98/C 9/03, Section 3) (see para. 94)
      6.                     Competition – Fines – Amount – Determination – Non-imposition or reduction of the fine for cooperation of the undertaking
            concerned – Reduction for not disputing the facts – Conditions (Art. 81(1) EC; Council Regulation No 1/2003, Art. 23(2); Commission
            Notice 96/C 207/04, Title D, Section 2) (see paras 101-102)
      7.                     Competition – Community rules – Infringements – Attribution – Parent company and subsidiaries – Economic unit – Criteria for
            assessment – Presumption of decisive influence exercised by the parent company over its wholly‑owned subsidiaries – Evidential
            obligations of the company seeking to rebut that presumption (Art. 81(1) EC) (see paras 111-116)
      Re:
      
         
               APPLICATION for annulment of Commission Decision C (2005) 4634 final of 30 November 2005 relating to a proceeding under Article
                  81 [EC] (Case COMP/F/38.354 – Industrial bags) and, in the alternative, for reduction of the fine imposed on the applicants.
               
            Operative part 
      The Court:
      
         
                  1.
               
               
                  
               
               
                  	Dismisses the action;
               
            
         
                  2.
               
               
                  
               
               
                  	Orders RKW SE and JM Gesellschaft für industrielle Beteiligungen mbH & Co. KGaA to pay the costs.