Judgment of the General Court of 29 March 2012 - Telefónica and Telefónica de España v Commission
(Case T-336/07)
(Competition - Abuse of a dominant position - Spanish markets for access to broadband internet - Decision declaring an infringement of Article 82 EC - Price-fixing - Margin squeeze - Definition of the markets - Dominant position - Abuse - Calculation of the margin squeeze - Effects of the abuse - Competence of the Commission - Rights of the defence - Subsidiarity - Proportionality - Legal certainty - Sincere cooperation - Principle of sound administration - Fines)
Language of the case: Spanish
Parties
Applicants: Telefónica, SA (Madrid, Spain); and Telefónica de España, SA (Madrid) (represented by: F. González Díaz and S. Sorinas Jimeno, then F. González Díaz, lawyers)
Defendant: European Commission (represented by: F. Castillo de la Torre, É. Gippini Fournier and K. Mojzesowicz, acting as Agents)
Interveners in support of the defendant : France Telecom España, SA (Pozuelo de Alarcon, Spain) (represented by: S. Martínez Lage, H. Brokelmann and M. Ganino, lawyers); Asociación de Usuarios de Servicios Bancarios (Ausbanc Consumo) (Madrid) (represented by: L. Pineda Salido and I. Cámara Rubio, lawyers); and European Competitive Telecommunications Association (Wokingham, United Kingdom) (represented by: M. Di Stefano and A. Salerno, lawyers)
Re:
Annulment of Commission Decision C(2007) 3196 final, of 4 July 2007, relating to proceedings under Article 82 [EC] (Case COMP/38.784 - Wanadoo España v Telefónica), and, in the alternative, annulment or reduction of the fine imposed on the applicants.
Operative part of the judgment
The Court:
Dismisses the action;
Orders Telefónica, SA and Telefónica de España, SA to bear their own costs and to pay those incurred by the European Commission, France Telecom España, SA, the Asociación de Usuarios de Servicios Bancarios (Ausbanc Consumo) and the European Competitive Telecommunications Association, in accordance with the forms of order sought by the latter.
____________1 - OJ C 269, 10.11.2007.