Judgment of the General Court of 16 June 2015 — FSL and Others v Commission

(Case T-655/11) ¹

(Competition — Agreements, decisions and concerted practices — European banana market in Italy, Greece and Portugal — Coordination in the fixing of prices — Admissibility of evidence — Rights of defence — Misuse of powers — Evidence of the infringement — Calculation of the fine)

Language of the case: English

Parties

Applicants: FSL Holdings (Antwerp, Belgium); Firma Léon Van Parys (Antwerp); and Pacific Fruit Company Italy SpA (Rome, Italy) (represented by: P. Vlaemminck, C. Verdonck, B. Van Vooren and B. Gielen, lawyers)

Defendant: European Commission (represented by: M. Kellerbauer and A. Biolan, acting as Agents)

Re:

Application, primarily, for annulment of Commission Decision C(2011) 7273 final of 12 October 2011 relating to a proceeding under Article 101 [TFEU] (Case COMP/39482 — Exotic Fruit (Bananas)), and, in the alternative, for a reduction in the fine.

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:

Annuls Article 1 of Commission Decision C(2011) 7273 final of 12 October 2011 relating to a proceeding under Article 101 [TFEU] (Case COMP/39482 — Exotic Fruit (Bananas)) in so far as it refers to the period from 11 August 2004 to 19 January 2005, to the extent that it concerns FSL Holdings, Firma Léon Van Parys and Pacific Fruit Company Italy SpA;

Annuls Article 2 of Decision C(2011) 7273 final in so far as it sets the amount of the fine imposed on FSL Holdings, Firma Léon Van Parys and Pacific Fruit Company Italy SpA at EUR 8 919 000;

Sets the amount of the fine imposed on FSL Holdings, Firma Léon Van Parys and Pacific Fruit Company Italy in Article 2 of Decision C(2011) 7273 final at EUR 6 689 000;

Dismisses the action as to the remainder;

Orders FSL Holdings, Firma Léon Van Parys and Pacific Fruit Company Italy to bear a third of their own costs and half of the European Commission’s costs;

Orders the Commission to bear half of its own costs and two thirds of the costs of FSL Holdings, of Firma Léon Van Parys and of Pacific Fruit Company Italy.

____________

¹ OJ C 58, 25.2.2012.