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Document 62007CA0322
Joined Cases C-322/07 P, C-327/07 P and C-338/07 P: Judgment of the Court (Third Chamber) of 3 September 2009 — Papierfabrik August Koehler AG, Bolloré SA, Distribuidora Vizcaína de Papeles SL v Commission of the European Communities (Appeals — Agreements, decisions and concerted practices — Carbonless paper — Inconsistency between the statement of objections and the contested decision — Infringement of the rights of the defence — Consequences — Distortion of the clear sense of the evidence — Participation in the infringement — Duration of the infringement — Regulation No 17 — Article 15(2) — Guidelines on the method of setting fines — Principle of equal treatment — Principle of proportionality — Obligation to state the reasons on which the decision is based — Reasonable period for duration of proceedings before the Court of First Instance)
Joined Cases C-322/07 P, C-327/07 P and C-338/07 P: Judgment of the Court (Third Chamber) of 3 September 2009 — Papierfabrik August Koehler AG, Bolloré SA, Distribuidora Vizcaína de Papeles SL v Commission of the European Communities (Appeals — Agreements, decisions and concerted practices — Carbonless paper — Inconsistency between the statement of objections and the contested decision — Infringement of the rights of the defence — Consequences — Distortion of the clear sense of the evidence — Participation in the infringement — Duration of the infringement — Regulation No 17 — Article 15(2) — Guidelines on the method of setting fines — Principle of equal treatment — Principle of proportionality — Obligation to state the reasons on which the decision is based — Reasonable period for duration of proceedings before the Court of First Instance)
Joined Cases C-322/07 P, C-327/07 P and C-338/07 P: Judgment of the Court (Third Chamber) of 3 September 2009 — Papierfabrik August Koehler AG, Bolloré SA, Distribuidora Vizcaína de Papeles SL v Commission of the European Communities (Appeals — Agreements, decisions and concerted practices — Carbonless paper — Inconsistency between the statement of objections and the contested decision — Infringement of the rights of the defence — Consequences — Distortion of the clear sense of the evidence — Participation in the infringement — Duration of the infringement — Regulation No 17 — Article 15(2) — Guidelines on the method of setting fines — Principle of equal treatment — Principle of proportionality — Obligation to state the reasons on which the decision is based — Reasonable period for duration of proceedings before the Court of First Instance)
OJ C 256, 24.10.2009, p. 3–3
(BG, ES, CS, DA, DE, ET, EL, EN, FR, IT, LV, LT, HU, MT, NL, PL, PT, RO, SK, SL, FI, SV)
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24.10.2009 |
EN |
Official Journal of the European Union |
C 256/3 |
Judgment of the Court (Third Chamber) of 3 September 2009 — Papierfabrik August Koehler AG, Bolloré SA, Distribuidora Vizcaína de Papeles SL v Commission of the European Communities
(Joined Cases C-322/07 P, C-327/07 P and C-338/07 P) (1)
(Appeals - Agreements, decisions and concerted practices - Carbonless paper - Inconsistency between the statement of objections and the contested decision - Infringement of the rights of the defence - Consequences - Distortion of the clear sense of the evidence - Participation in the infringement - Duration of the infringement - Regulation No 17 - Article 15(2) - Guidelines on the method of setting fines - Principle of equal treatment - Principle of proportionality - Obligation to state the reasons on which the decision is based - Reasonable period for duration of proceedings before the Court of First Instance)
2009/C 256/04
Languages of the case: German, French and Spanish
Parties
Appellants: Papierfabrik August Koehler AG (represented by: I. Brinker and S. Hirsbrunner, Rechtsanwälte, J. Schwarze, professeur), Bolloré SA (represented by: C. Momège and P. Gassenbach, avocats), Distribuidora Vizcaína de Papeles SL (represented by: E. Pérez Medrano and T. Díaz Utrilla, abogados)
Other party to the proceedings: Commission of the European Communities (represented by: W. Mölls and F. Castillo de la Torre, acting as Agents, H.-J. Freund, Rechtsanwalt, N. Coutrelis, avocat)
Re:
Appeal brought against the judgment of the Court of First Instance (Fifth Chamber) of 26 April 2007 in Joined Cases T-109/02, T-118/02, T-122/02, T-125/02, T-126/02, T-128/02, T-129/02, T-132/02 and T-136/02 Bolloré and Others v Commission — Price fixing agreement in the carbonless paper sector — Infringement of rights of defence in respect of the proof that the appellant participated in the infringement committed prior to October 1993 (erroneous, insufficient and contradictory proof) — Infringement of the principles of equal treatment and proportionality in respect of the setting of the amount of the fine (since the appellant is a family business which does not have access to capital markets)
Operative part of the judgment
The Court:
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1. |
Sets aside the judgment of the Court of First Instance of the European Communities of 26 April 2007 in Joined Cases T-109/02, T-118/02, T-122/02, T-125/02, T-126/02, T-128/02, T-129/02, T-132/02 and T-136/02 Bolloré and Others v Commission in so far as it concerns Bolloré SA. |
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2. |
Annuls Commission Decision 2004/337/EC of 20 December 2001 relating to a proceeding pursuant to Article 81 of the EC Treaty and Article 53 of the EEA Agreement (Case COMP/E-1/36.212 — Carbonless paper) in so far as it relates to Bolloré SA. |
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3. |
Dismisses the appeals brought by Papierfabrik August Koehler AG and Distribuidora Vizcaína de Papeles SL. |
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4. |
Orders the Commission of the European Communities to pay the costs at first instance and on appeal in Case C-327/07 P. |
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5. |
Orders Papierfabrik August Koehler AG to pay the costs in Case C-322/07 P and Distribuidora Vizcaína de Papeles SL to pay the costs in Case C-338/07 P. |