Judgment of the Court (Second Chamber) of 14 October 2010 - Deutsche Telekom AG v European Commission, Vodafone D2 GmbH, formerly Vodafone AG & Co. KG, formerly Arcor AG & Co. KG and Others
(Appeal - Competition - Article 82 EC - Markets for telecommunications services - Access to the fixed network of the incumbent operator - Wholesale charges for local loop access services to competitors - Retail charges for access services to end-users - Pricing practices of a dominant undertaking - Margin squeeze - Charges approved by the national regulatory authority - Leeway of the dominant undertaking - Attributability of the infringement - Meaning of 'abuse' - As-efficient-competitor test - Calculation of the margin squeeze - Effects of the abuse - Amount of the fine)
Language of the case: German
Parties
Appellant: Deutsche Telekom AG (represented by: U. Quack, S. Ohlhoff and M. Hutschneider, Rechtsanwälte)
Other parties to the proceedings: European Commission (represented by: K. Mojzesowicz, W. Mölls and O. Weber, Agents), Vodafone D2 GmbH, formerly Vodafone AG & Co. KG, formerly Arcor AG & Co. KG (represented by: M. Klusmann, Rechtsanwalt), Versatel NRW GmbH, formerly Tropolys NRW GmbH, formerly CityKom Münster GmbH Telekommunikationsservice, EWE TEL GmbH, HanseNet Telekommunikation GmbH, Versatel Nord GmbH, formerly Versatel Nord-Deutschland GmbH, formerly KomTel Gesellschaft für Kommunikations- und Informationsdienste mbH, NetCologne Gesellschaft für Telekommunikation mbH, Versatel Süd GmbH, formerly Versatel Süd-Deutschland GmbH, formerly tesion Telekommunikation GmbH, Versatel West GmbH, formerly Versatel West-Deutschland GmbH, formerly Versatel Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG (represented by: N. Nolte, Rechtsanwalt)
Re:
Appeal brought against the judgment of the Court of First Instance (Fifth Chamber, Extended Composition) of 10 April 2008 in Case T-271/03 Deutsche Telekom v Commission, by which the Court of First Instance dismissed the application for annulment of Commission Decision 2003/707/EC of 21 May 2003 relating to a proceeding under Article 82 EC (Case COMP/C-1/37.451, 37.578, 37.579 - Deutsche Telekom AG) (OJ 2003 L 263, p. 9), and, in the alternative, reduction of the fine imposed on the applicant - Abuse of a dominant position - Charges for access to the fixed-line telecommunications network in Germany - Abusive nature of pricing practices of a dominant undertaking charging its competitors tariffs for wholesale access to the local loop that are higher than the prices it charges for retail access to the local network
Operative part of the judgment
The Court:
Dismisses the appeal;
Orders Deutsche Telekom AG to pay the costs.
____________1 - OJ C 223, 30.8.2008.