natgillin/translations-raw huggingface dataset:
2) dømme Kongeriget Spanien til at betale sagens omkostninger.«
The reason for this is that the cost of transport is exceptionally high in
Sag T-141/89 Tréfíleurope Sales SARL / Kommissionen for De Europæiske Fællesskaber Konkurrence
The applicant states that the opinion of the French Competition Commission of 20 June 1985 concerning the competitive situation in the welded steel mesh market in France, and the decision of the French authorities of 3 September 1985 based on that opinion, related to agreements covering the periods 1981-1982 and 1983-1984, but that Tréfilarbed had not been found guilty of any infringement during the period 1981-1982.
»Konkurrence — overtrædelse af EØF-traktatens artikel 85* (Første Afdeling)
As regards the opinion of the French Competition Commission, the Court cannot accept the applicant's argument.
Sagsfremstilling
Β — In the Benelux market
Sagsøgeren blev pålagt en bøde på 10 000 FF for i perioden fra september 1983 til april 1984 at have deltaget i en aftale, som havde til formål og til følge at fordreje konkurrencen.
The applicant acknowledges that there were discussions between the representatives of the three undertakings but claims that they consisted merely in the exchange of information and opinions, without any obligation attaching to any of the parties.
Nærværende sag vedrører Kommissionens beslutning 89/515/EØF af 2. august 1989 om en procedure i henhold til EØF-traktatens artikel 85 (IV/31.553 — Armeringsnet), hvorved fjorten producenter af armeringsnet blev pålagt en bøde for overtrædelse af traktatens artikel 85, stk. 1.
The fact that competition in respect of the product in question operates essentially, as the parties agree, in the various border areas necessarily implies that the national market is affected in the natural selling area and the fact that that area occupies only part of the geographical territory of a Member State does not mean that the national market as a whole is not affected.
Det benyttes inden for næsten alle anvendelsesområder for armeret jernbetonkonstruktion.
It follows that the various agreements did in fact affect intraCommunity trade.
Den 6. og 7. november 1985 foretog tjenestemænd fra Kommissionen i medfør af artikel 14, stk. 3, i Rådets forordning nr. 17 samtidigt og uden forudgående varsel kontrolundersøgelser hos syv virksomheder og to sammenslutninger af virksomheder.
The applicant criticizes the Commission for failing to apply Regulations Nos 3604/82 and 417/85 on the ground that the aggregate turnover of the participating undertakings, including the consolidated group turnover of Arbed and Hoogovens, allegedly exceeded the limits of ECU 150, 300 and 500 million.
Fra 1980 udviklede der sig inden for denne sektor på det tyske og franske marked samt Benelux-markedet en række aftaler og forskellige former for praksis, som ligger til grund for beslutningen.
Secondly, it must be emphasized that the applicant admits that the various national markets can be supplied by Community producers which have adapted their production plant to comply with the relevant standards; moreover, it does not deny that certification is necessary only for public works contracts.
Tilladelsen blev forlænget én gang og udløb i 1988.
In the French market
Den franske Commission de la concurrence afgav den 20 juni 1985 en udtalelse vedrørende konkurrencesituationen på det franske marked for armeringsnet, hvorefter den franske økonomi·
For there to be an agreement within the meaning of Article 85(1) of the Treaty, it is sufficient for the undertakings in question to have expressed their joint intention to conduct themselves in the market in a particular way.
Aftalerne vedrørte forskellige delmarkeder (de
(1) For the period 1981-1982
Sagsøgeren har ved stævning indgivet den 13. oktober 1989 anlagt nærværende sag med påstand om annullation af beslutningen. Ti af de tretten andre virksomheder, beslutningen er rettet til, har ligeledes anlagt sag.
The Court considers that the Commission was entitled to treat the gentlemen's agreement as amounting to the faithful expression of the joint intention of the parties to the agreement with regard to their conduct in the common market and therefore as constituting an agreement covered by Article 85(1) of the Treaty.
Anbringendet om tihidesættehe af traktatens artikel 85, stk. 1
Moreover, it must be noted that the applicant did not ask the Commission to adopt an individual exemption decision under Article 85(3) of the Treaty.
Retten finder for det første, at det ikke er forkert, når Kommissionen har fastslået, at en væsentlig del af fællesmarkedet er reguleret ved de forskellige aftaler.
The Decision criticizes the applicant for being a party to agreements in the German market whose object was, first, to regulate the exports of Benelux producers to Germany and, secondly, to ensure compliance with the prices obtaining on the German market.
På samme måde kan det grænseoverskridende aspekt i aftalerne, som kommer til udtryk ved en beskyttelse af grænseområderne, ikke anses for et accessorisk element, men må, som Kommissionen med rette har anført, anses for selve formålet med aftalerne.
(1) The exclusive distribution agreements between BStG on the one hand and Bouwstaai Roermond BV and Arbed SA afdeling Nederland on the other
Det bemærkes, at sagsøgeren selv har erkendt, at det grænseoverskridende aspcki i aftalerne havde til formål og til følge at sikre en beskyttelse af de nationale systemer.
According to the Decision, those exclusive distribution agreements represented a restriction of competition between two (competing) undertakings established in two Member States which was likely to affect trade between Member States.
De forskellige aftaler har således påvirket samhandelen inden for Fællesskabet.
The Commission rejects the argument advanced by BStG and Tréfilarbed that, since Arbed had an interest of 25.001% in BStG, that was a purely intra-group matter.
Endvidere må det understreges, at sagsøgeren har erkendt, at producenter i Fællesskabet, som har tilpasset deres produktionsapparat til de omhandlede normer, kan levere til de forskellige nationale markeder, og selskabet bestrider ikke, at godkendelse kun er nødvendig i forbindelse med offentlige aftaler.
As other members held larger interests (Thyssen 34% and Klöckner 33.5%), a mere holding of 25.001% does not give rise to a parent-subsidiary relationship such as would mean that any restrictive agreement between those two companies would be deemed not to be caught by Article 85(1) of the Treaty.
II — Beviset for aftalerne
(a) The contested measure
A — Det franske marked
Those two points must be considered separately.
Det naturlige afsætningsområde for armeringsnet ligger således inden for en radius på 150 km fra produktionsstedet og kan godt være adskilt af en grænse.
The latter contract had appended to it a signed memorandum of the same date in which Arbed SA afdeling Nederland undertook not to make any other direct or indirect deliveries to Germany during the term of the contract.
Dette skyldes, at transportomkostningerne er usædvanligt høje i forhold til produktets pris.
In those contracts, BStG took over exclusive sales in Germany, at a price to be fixed according to specific criteria, of a specified annual volume of welded steel mesh from the Roermond works. Brouwstaal Roermond BV and Arbed SA
Sagsøgeren finder derfor, at det er ukorrekt, når det i beslutningen fastslås, at »aftalekomplekset har ... ført til en vidtgående regulering af en betydelig del af fællesmarkedet«.
The Court considers that the exclusive distribution contracts in question do not fulfil the conditions laid down by Regulation No 67/67.
Det bemærkes indledningsvis, at sagsøgerens opfattelse på ingen måde er i strid med Kommissionens. Det anføres således i beslutningen, at samhandelen med armeringsnet mellem medlemsstaterne er mest intensiv i grænseområderne, ogattransportomkostningerne er høje.
Article 9 of the contract of 24 November 1976, between BStG and Bouwstaai Roermond, stipulates that 'throughout the currency of this contract (Bouwstaai Roermond) shall make no direct or indirect deliveries to the Federal
konkurrencen ikke udelukkes for en væsentlig del af de pågældende varer. Endvidere bemærkes, at sagsøgeren ikke har anmodet Kommissionen om at træffe en individuel beslutning i henhold til traktatens artikel 85, stk. 3.
the applicant's individual participation in those agreements could, notwithstanding their limited scale, restrict competition or affect trade between Member States is entirely irrelevant.
Β - Benelux-markedet
Republic of Germany'.
C — Det tyske marked
In consideration of that forbearance, Arbed shall have the benefit ...'.
Det anføres i beslutningen, at sagsøgeren deltog i aftaler vedrørende det tyske marked med det formål dels at regulere Benelux-producenternes eksport til Tyskland, dels at sikre overholdelsen af de priser, der gjaldt på det tyske marked.
The Court considers that the meaning of the words 'directly or indirectly' in the present case goes beyond a straightforward commitment by a supplier only to deliver to BStG products for resale. This view is based on two factors.
Sagsøgeren har erkendt, at der fandt drøftelser sted mellem repræsentanter for de tre virksomheder, men har anført, at disse kun bestod i udveksling af oplysning og en meningsudveksling og ikke indebar forpligtelser for nogen af parterne.
Secondly, the word 'indirectly' could be interpreted by the reseller as committing the supplier to take the action necessary to preclude deliveries to Germany from other countries, that is to say to control the other exclusive distributors with a view to prohibiting them from exporting to Germany.
Sagsøgeren har bestridt, at forordning nr. 3604/82 og 417/85 ikke finder anvendelse, fordi de deltagende virksomheders samlede omsætning, inklusive Arbed's og Hoogovens' koncernomsætning, oversteg grænsen på 150,300 og 500 ECU.
An analysis of the documents shows that the relationship between Arbed and BStG did not meet the conditions laid down for it to be considered that the agreements between the two companies fell outside the scope of Article 85(1) of the Treaty.
Der er ifølge sagsøgeren tale om en formel begrundelse. Når det drejer sig om de store koncerner inden for stålindustrien, er det nærmest uomgængeligt, at omsætningsgrænserne overskrides.
It must be borne in mind that Article 85 of the Treaty does not apply to agreements and concerted practices between undertakings belonging to a single group as parent company and subsidiary if those undertakings form an economic unit within which the subsidiary has no real freedom to determine its course of action on the market.
Der tages herved ikke hensyn til, at den omhandlede aftale kan opfylde et reelt behov og have en økonomisk begrundelse.
In the present case, it must be observed that the control which Arbed exercised over BStG corresponded to its percentage holding in the capital thereof, namely 25.001%, which falls far short of a majority interest.
Det bemærkes, at det er tilstrækkeligt til, at der er tale om en aftale i henhold til traktatens artikel 85, stk. 1, at de pågældende virksomheder har givet udtryk for deres fælles vilje til at indrette deres adfærd på markedet på en bestemt måde.
It must be concluded that such a holding does not justify the conclusion that Arbed and BStG belonged to a group within which they formed an economic unit with the result that an agreement between those two undertakings restricting competition would not be caught by Article 85(1) of the Treaty.
Det anføres i beslutningen, at BStG's interesse i at begrænse eller regulere udenlandsk import til Tyskland kom, for så vidt angår importen fra Nederlandene, til udtryk i de to salgsaftaler mellem BStG på den ene side og Bouwstaai Roermond BV (senere Tréfilarbed Bouwstaai Roermond) og Arbed SA afdeling Nederland på den anden side af henholdsvis 24. november 1976 og 22. marts 1982.
The Court notes that the spirit of Regulation No 67/67 is to make the exemption available under it subject to the condition that users will, through the possibility of parallel imports, be allowed a fair share of the benefits resulting from the exclusive distribution.
Sidstnævnte var vedlagt et underskrevet notat af samme dato, hvori Arbed SA afdeling Nederland forpligtede sig til i aftalens løbetid ikke direkte eller indirekte at levere til Tyskland.
That is consonant with settled case-law according to which an exclusive distribution contract containing no prohibition of exports cannot benefit from a block exemption under Regulation No 67/67 where the undertakings concerned are engaged in a concerted practice aimed at restricting parallel imports intended for an unauthorized dealer
Ifølge aftalerne overtog BStG eneforhandlingen i Tyskland af en nærmere fastsat årlig mængde armeringsnet fra fabrikken i Roermond til en pris, som skulle fastsættes efter bestemte kriterier.
(2) The agreement between BStG and Tréfilarbed (St Ingbert)
Retten finder, at Kommissionen med rette har anset den omhandlede »gentlemen's agreement« for et nøjagtigt udtryk for kartelmedlemmernes fælles vilje vedrørende deres adfærd på fællesmarkedet og dermed for en aftale i henhold til traktatens artikel 85, stk. 1.
It must be pointed out that in a judgment delivered today, BStG ν Commission, this Court had held that, as far as BStG is concerned, the prohibition of reimports into Germany, although contrary to Article 85(1) of the Treaty, was accounted for by the structural crisis cartel.
Endvidere anføres det i beslutningen, at eneforhandlingsaftalerne ikke opfyldte betingelserne i Kommissionens forordning nr. 67/67/EØF om anvendelse af traktatens artikel 85, stk. 3, på kategorier af eneforhandlingsaftaler, i hvert fald ikke efter indgåelsen af aftalerne om gensidig markedsindtrængning mellem Tyskland og Benelux.
Furthermore, the Court considers that the applicant is not entitled to rely on the fact that the agreements related to only a very small part of the German market and that Tréfilarbed Roermond's deliveries through BStG could not have had any real influence on competition.
Efter dette tidspunkt må aftalerne betragtes som del af en samlet aftale om markedsopdeling med deltagelse af mere end to virksomheder, og forordning nr. 67/67 fandt således ikke anvendelse herpå.
It is clear from the wording of Article 85(1) of the Treaty that the only relevant questions are whether the agreements in which the applicant participated with other undertakings had the object or effect of restricting competition and whether they were liable to affect trade between Member States. Therefore, the question whether
For det andet kunne forhandleren forstå ordet »indirekte« således, at leverandøren påtog sig at træffe foranstaltninger med henblik på at undgå leverancer til Tyskland fra andre lande, dvs. at kontrollere de øvrige eneforhandlere for at forhindre dem i at eksportere til Tyskland.
Point 206 of the Decision indicates that the existence of the German structural crisis cartel was regarded as constituting mitigating circumstances as far as the non­German producers were concerned.
Kommissionen har ikke kunnet acceptere BStG's og Tréfilarbed's opfattelse af, at der var tale om et rent koncern-internt anliggende, idet Arbed ejede 25,001% af indskudskapitalen i BStG.
In any event, even if it were assumed that the circumstances of this case were such that mitigating circumstances could be regarded as applying to the applicant, they would merge with the circumstances taken into account by the Commission in point 206 of the Decision in
Dette er i overensstemmelse med fast retspraksis, hvorefter en eneforhandlingsaftale, som ikke indeholder et eksportforbud, ikke er omfattet af gruppefritagelsen i henhold til forordning nr. 67/67, når de pågældende virksomheder deltager i en samordnet praksis med henblik på at begrænse parallelimport til en ikke-autoriseret forhandler.
Case T-142/89 Usines Gustave Boël SA ν Commission of the European Communities Competition
b) Spørgsmålet, om forordning nr. 67/67 finder anvendelse
(Competition Infringement of Article 85 of the EEC Treaty) (First Chamber)
Retten finder ikke, at de omhandlede eneforhandlingsaftaler opfylder betingelserne i forordning nr. 67/67.
By application lodged on 17 October 1989, the applicant brought the present action for the annulment of the Decision of 2 August 1989 relating to a proceeding under Article 85 of the EEC Treaty (IV/31.553 ­ Welded steel mesh).
Som vederlag herfor modtager Arbed ...«.
The plea as to infringement of Article 85(1) of the Treaty
Endvidere finder Retten, at sagsøgeren ikke kan påberåbe sig, at aftalerne kun vedrørte en meget lille del af det tyske marked, og at Tréfilarbed Roermond's leverancer gennem BStG ikke kunne øve nogen reel indflydelse på konkurrencen.
The Court considers that the facts, as established, contradict the applicant's assertion that it played a passive role in relation to the cartel and its claim that it was not and did not consider itself bound by the prices and quotas fixed at the meetings.
Det fremgår således af ordlyden i traktatens artikel 85, stk. 1, at de eneste relevante spørgsmål er, om de aftaler, sagsøgeren har deltaget i sammen med andre virksomheder, havde til formål eller til følge at begrænse konkurrencen, og om de kunne påvirke handelen mellem medlemsstater. Det er således uden betydning, om sagsøgerens deltagelse i aftalerne trods dets begrænsede størrelse kunne begrænse konkurrencen eller påvirke handelen mellem medlemsstater.
It must be observed in that connection that, in the course of its contacts with its competitors, the applicant tried to give the impression that it was observing and would continue to observe the decisions taken in relation to the agreements, which implies that it had given commitments to them.
c) Spørgsmålet, om der bestod et koncernforhold
The non-binding nature of the agreements
Det bemærkes i denne forbindelse, at traktatens artikel 85 ikke finder anvendelse på aftaler eller samordnet
The lack of an 'appreciable' restriction of competition
Retten finder, at ordene »direkte eller indirekte« i dette tilfælde har en videre betydning end blot en forpligtelse fra leverandøren til udelukkende til BStG at levere varer med henblik på videresalg. Denne vurdering støttes på to forhold.
The applicant claims that its market shares were so minimal that its participation in the meetings at issue could not in any sense have the object of
For det første havde Tréfilarbed Roermond udtrykkeligt givet afkald på retten til enhver form for leverance — og havde til gengæld herfor modtaget et vederlag - også til leverancer, der ikke skete med henblik
It insists that it never agreed to be or considered itself bound by the price or quota proposals put forward at the meetings and moreover those proposal were not complied with and were not in practice the subject of penalties.
praksis mellem virksomheder, der i egenskab af moder- og datterselskab tilhører samme koncern og udgør en økonomisk enhed, inden for hvilken datterselskabet ikke har nogen reel selvstændighed ved fastlæggelsen af sin markedspolitiske linje.
agreements penalized by the Decision, since those agreements, whose object was to restrict competition, would have been of no interest to producers if there had been no possibility of some competition remaining on the market.
Retten finder imidlertid ikke, at forholdende i denne sag begrunder, at sagsøgeren påberåber sig denne formildende omstændighed.
The applicant claims, first, that it never had any intention, by participating in the meetings at issue, of partitioning the markets and that it never gave any undertaking, not even orally, to refrain from selling to any particular customer or from charging any particular price.
Selv om det lægges til grund, at forholdene i denne sag begrundede, at der var tale om en formildende omstændighed for sagsøgeren, ville denne omstændighed under alle omstændigheder være sammenfaldende med det forhold, Kommissionen har taget hensyn til i 206. betragtning til beslutningen i relation til alle de ikke-tyske producenter.
It follows from the text of Article 85(1) of the Treaty that the only relevant questions are whether the agreements in which the applicant participated with other undertakings had as their object or effect the restriction of competition.
Det anføres således i 206. betragtning til beslutningen, at det forhold, at der fandtes et strukturkrisekartel i Tyskland, er anset for en formildende omstændighed i forhold til de ikke-tyske producenter.
Consequently, the question whether the applicant's individual participation in those agreements might, despite its limited extent, restrict competition is irrelevant.
Sag T-142/89 Usines Gustave Boël SA / Kommissionen for De Europæiske Fællesskaber Konkurrence
In any event, it must be emphasized that the restrictions of competition ascertained were likely to divert patterns of trade from the course which they would otherwise have followed, since their object and effect was to impose quotas on imports from the various producers and to fix prices on the various markets.
»Konkurrence — overtrædelse af EØF-traktatens (Første Afdeling)
Furthermore, the low added value of welded steel mesh by comparison with wire rod and its substitutability with concrete reinforcing bars, both of which were subject to a quota system under the ECSC Treaty, may indeed have resulted in less room for competition on the welded steel mesh market.
Ved stævning indgivet den 17. oktober 1989 har sagsøgeren anlagt nærværende sag med påstand om annullation af Kommissionens beslutning
However, the remaining margin was sufficient to permit effective competition on the market on which the agreements found by the Decision had an appreciable impact.
Realiteten størrelse kunne begrænse begrænsede konkurrencen.
That is why it has asked the Court to reduce the rate of interest applied to the fine to 9%.
Anbringendet om tihidesættehe af traktatens artikel 85, stk 1
must be observed that German, Belgian, Italian, French and Dutch producers participated in those agreements.
Spørgsmålet, om aftalerne var bindende
The rate of interest imposed by the Commission in the event of an application to the Court
Med hensyn til, at aftalerne ikke skulle have haft virkninger, bemærkes, at det ikke er nødvendigt at tage hensyn til en aftales faktiske følger, når det som i dette tilfælde fremgår, at aftalen har til formål at hindre, begrænse eller fordreje konkurrencen inden for fællesmarkedet.
The Court considers that the Commission was entitled to adopt a higher rate than that charged by the European Monetary Cooperation Fund in the event of late payment and in any event, as far as proceedings are concerned, to discourage manifestly unfounded actions brought with the sole object of delaying payment of the fine.
Selskabet har på ingen måde forpligtet sig eller følt sig forpligtet til at overholde de forslag til priser og kvoter, som blev fremsat under møderne. I øvrigt blev disse forslag ikke respekteret, og der fandtes ikke effektive sanktioner.
The Court observes that the accompanying letter provided not for an increase in the rate of interest in the event of proceedings being brought but for a reduction, in such circumstances, to a rate below that which would apply in the event of late payment.
Det må under alle omstændigheder fastslås, at aftalerne medførte en begrænsning af konkurrencen, idet salget på visse markederne blev begrænset, hvilket førte til kunstige prisstigninger.
It follows that, contrary to the applicant's assertion, the Commission did not seek to discourage applications to the Court.
Retten finder, at de faktiske omstændigheder afkræfter, at sagsøgeren kun skulle have deltaget passivt i aftalerne, og at selskabet ikke skulle have forpligtet sig eller følt sig forpligtet af de priser og kvoter, som blev fastsat under møderne.
The applicant states that the registered letter from the Commission accompanying the Decision indicates that, in the event of proceedings being instituted, the amount due will bear interest at the rate of 10.5%.