CELEX: C2002/109/121
Language: en
Date: 2002-05-04 00:00:00
Title: Case T-52/02: Action brought on 27 February 2002 by Société Nouvelle des Couleurs Zinciques S.A. against the Commission of the European Communities

C 109/64               EN                     Official Journal of the European Communities                                        4.5.2002
Pleas in law and main arguments                                          the decision forming the subject-matter of the dispute disre-
                                                                         gards the principle of proportionality, given the allegedly
                                                                         totally disproportionate nature of the fine at issue, especially
The pleas in law and main arguments are similar to those put             in relation to that imposed on other undertakings in this and
forward in Case T-49/02.                                                 other recent cases, and as regards the taking into account of
                                                                         the legal maximum applicable to the fine itself.
                                                                         Lastly, the applicant pleads infringement of the principle of
                                                                         non-discrimination.
Action brought on 27 February 2002 by Société Nouvelle
des Couleurs Zinciques S.A. against the Commission of
                  the European Communities
                                                                         Action brought on 28 February 2002 by Bayerische Hypo-
                          (Case T-52/02)                                 und Vereinsbank AG against the Commission of the
                                                                                              European Communities
                        (2002/C 109/121)
                                                                                                   (Case T-56/02)
                   (Language of the case: French)
                                                                                                 (2002/C 109/122)
                                                                                            (Language of the case: German)
An action against the Commission of the European Communi-
ties was brought before the Court of First Instance of the
European Communities on 27 February 2002 by Société
Nouvelle des Couleurs Zinciques S.A., established at Bouchain
(France), represented by Robert Saint-Esteben and Hugues                 An action against the Commission of the European Communi-
Calvet, lawyers, with an address for service in Luxembourg.              ties was brought before the Court of First Instance of the
                                                                         European Communities on 28 February 2002 by Bayerische
                                                                         Hypo- und Vereinsbank AG, of Munich (Germany), represented
                                                                         by W. Knapp, T. Müller-Ibold and B. Bergmann, lawyers.
The applicant claims that the Court should:
—     principally, annul Article 3 of the Commission’s decision          The applicant claims that the Court should:
      of 11 December 2001, in so far as that article imposes a
      fine of 1,53 million euros on the applicant;                       —     annul the Commission’s decision C(2001) 3693 final of
                                                                               11 December 2001 in Case COMP/E-1/37.919
—     alternatively, reduce the amount of that fine very substan-              (ex 37 391) — Bank charges for currency exchange
      tially;                                                                  within the Euro zone — Germany, in so far as it concerns
                                                                               the applicant;
—     order the Commission to pay the costs.
                                                                         —     alternatively, cancel or, in the further alternative, reduce
                                                                               the fine of 28 000 000 euros imposed on the applicant;
                                                                         —     order the Commission to pay the costs.
Pleas in law and main arguments
The decision contested in the present case is the same as that           Pleas in law and main arguments
in Case T-33/02 Britannia Alloys & Chemicals v Commission.
The pleas in law and main arguments put forward by the
applicant are similar to those advanced in Case T-33/02.                 The alleged cartel never existed. It is apparent from the
                                                                         information provided by those who attended the meeting of
                                                                         foreign exchange dealers on 15 October 1997 that, during the
According to the applicant, the arbitrary fixing of a basic              course of that meeting, the discussions concerned technical
amount far in excess of the legal maximum is contrary to                 aspects of inter-bank trading in foreign currencies and structur-
Article 15(2) of Regulation No 17/62, inasmuch as it prevents            ing possibilities regarding pricing in retail foreign exchange
the duration of the infringement and the aggravating and                 trading. The meeting did not involve the conclusion of any
mitigating factors from being taken into account. In addition,           anti-competitive agreement.