Judgment of the General Court (Sixth Chamber, extended composition) of 16 June 2011.

Heineken Nederland BV and Heineken NV v European Commission.

Competition - Agreements, decisions and concerted practices - Netherlands beer market - Decision finding an infringement of Article 81 EC - Proof of the infringement - Access to the file - Fines - Principle of equal treatment - Reasonable period.

Case T-240/07.



Top of the page Documents in the Case
Document Date Name of the parties Subject-matter Curia EUR-Lex Autres Liens
Judgment (OJ)
15/07/2011 Heineken Nederland and Heineken v Commission
Judgment
ECLI:EU:T:2011:284
16/06/2011 Heineken Nederland and Heineken v Commission
Judgment (Summary)
ECLI:EU:T:2011:284
16/06/2011 Heineken Nederland and Heineken v Commission
Application (OJ)
08/09/2007 Heineken Nederland and Heineken v Commission
Top of the page Legal analysis of the decision or of the case

Reports of Cases

2011 II-03355

Subject-matter

First, annulment of Commission Decision C(2007) 1697 final of 18 April 2007 relating to a proceeding pursuant to Article 81 EC (Case COMP/B-2/37.766 – Netherlands beer) concerning an agreement on the Netherlands beer market to coordinate and increase prices and allocate market shares and, second, annulment or reduction of the fine imposed on the applicants

Systematic classification scheme

1.
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.08 Competition
    4.08.01 Agreements, decisions and concerted practices
      4.08.01.02 Nullity of agreements and decisions
        4.08.01.02.01 Effects of nullity
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.08 Competition
    4.08.01 Agreements, decisions and concerted practices
      4.08.01.02 Nullity of agreements and decisions
        4.08.01.02.02 "Provisional validity"
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.08 Competition
    4.08.03 Implementation of the competition rules
      4.08.03.02 Procedure for the application of the competition rules by the Commission
        4.08.03.02.08 Decision of the Commission
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.08 Competition
    4.08.03 Implementation of the competition rules
      4.08.03.02 Procedure for the application of the competition rules by the Commission
        4.08.03.02.08 Decision of the Commission
1 The legal order of the European Union
  1.04 Fundamental rights
    1.04.03 The fundamental rights
      1.04.03.48 Presumption of innocence and right of defence
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.08 Competition
    4.08.03 Implementation of the competition rules
      4.08.03.02 Procedure for the application of the competition rules by the Commission
        4.08.03.02.00 General
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.08 Competition
    4.08.03 Implementation of the competition rules
      4.08.03.02 Procedure for the application of the competition rules by the Commission
        4.08.03.02.08 Decision of the Commission
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.08 Competition
    4.08.03 Implementation of the competition rules
      4.08.03.02 Procedure for the application of the competition rules by the Commission
        4.08.03.02.08 Decision of the Commission
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.08 Competition
    4.08.01 Agreements, decisions and concerted practices
      4.08.01.04 null
        4.08.01.04.02 null
          4.08.01.04.02.01 null
            4.08.01.04.02.01.01
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.08 Competition
    4.08.03 Implementation of the competition rules
      4.08.03.02 Procedure for the application of the competition rules by the Commission
        4.08.03.02.08 Decision of the Commission
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.08 Competition
    4.08.01 Agreements, decisions and concerted practices
      4.08.01.02 Nullity of agreements and decisions
        4.08.01.02.01 Effects of nullity
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.08 Competition
    4.08.01 Agreements, decisions and concerted practices
      4.08.01.02 Nullity of agreements and decisions
        4.08.01.02.02 "Provisional validity"
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.08 Competition
    4.08.01 Agreements, decisions and concerted practices
      4.08.01.02 Nullity of agreements and decisions
        4.08.01.02.04
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.08 Competition
    4.08.03 Implementation of the competition rules
      4.08.03.02 Procedure for the application of the competition rules by the Commission
        4.08.03.02.06 Hearing of persons concerned and of third parties / Access to the file
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.08 Competition
    4.08.03 Implementation of the competition rules
      4.08.03.02 Procedure for the application of the competition rules by the Commission
        4.08.03.02.06 Hearing of persons concerned and of third parties / Access to the file
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.08 Competition
    4.08.03 Implementation of the competition rules
      4.08.03.02 Procedure for the application of the competition rules by the Commission
        4.08.03.02.06 Hearing of persons concerned and of third parties / Access to the file
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.08 Competition
    4.08.03 Implementation of the competition rules
      4.08.03.02 Procedure for the application of the competition rules by the Commission
        4.08.03.02.08 Decision of the Commission
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.08 Competition
    4.08.03 Implementation of the competition rules
      4.08.03.02 Procedure for the application of the competition rules by the Commission
        4.08.03.02.08 Decision of the Commission
1 The legal order of the European Union
  1.01 Sources of EU law
    1.01.02 General principles of law
      1.01.02.05 Rights of the defence and procedural guarantees
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.08 Competition
    4.08.03 Implementation of the competition rules
      4.08.03.02 Procedure for the application of the competition rules by the Commission
        4.08.03.02.08 Decision of the Commission
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.08 Competition
    4.08.03 Implementation of the competition rules
      4.08.03.02 Procedure for the application of the competition rules by the Commission
        4.08.03.02.04 Requests for information
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.08 Competition
    4.08.03 Implementation of the competition rules
      4.08.03.03 Fines imposed by the Commission
        4.08.03.03.08 Judicial review
          4.08.03.03.08.02 Review of lawfulness
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.08 Competition
    4.08.03 Implementation of the competition rules
      4.08.03.03 Fines imposed by the Commission
        4.08.03.03.08 Judicial review
          4.08.03.03.08.03 Review in the exercise of unlimited jurisdiction
            4.08.03.03.08.03.00 General
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.08 Competition
    4.08.03 Implementation of the competition rules
      4.08.03.03 Fines imposed by the Commission
        4.08.03.03.04 Fines for infringement of Articles 101 TFEU and 102 TFEU (Articles 81 EC and 82 EC)
          4.08.03.03.04.02 Basic amount
            4.08.03.03.04.02.02 Basic amount according to the 1998 Guidelines
              4.08.03.03.04.02.02.01 General starting amount
                4.08.03.03.04.02.02.01.03 Actual impact of the infringement on the market
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.08 Competition
    4.08.03 Implementation of the competition rules
      4.08.03.03 Fines imposed by the Commission
        4.08.03.03.04 Fines for infringement of Articles 101 TFEU and 102 TFEU (Articles 81 EC and 82 EC)
          4.08.03.03.04.02 Basic amount
            4.08.03.03.04.02.02 Basic amount according to the 1998 Guidelines
              4.08.03.03.04.02.02.01 General starting amount
                4.08.03.03.04.02.02.01.01 Nature of the infringement
                  4.08.03.03.04.02.02.01.01.01 Very serious infringement
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.08 Competition
    4.08.03 Implementation of the competition rules
      4.08.03.03 Fines imposed by the Commission
        4.08.03.03.04 Fines for infringement of Articles 101 TFEU and 102 TFEU (Articles 81 EC and 82 EC)
          4.08.03.03.04.02 Basic amount
            4.08.03.03.04.02.02 Basic amount according to the 1998 Guidelines
              4.08.03.03.04.02.02.01 General starting amount
                4.08.03.03.04.02.02.01.02 Geographic scope of the infringement
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.08 Competition
    4.08.03 Implementation of the competition rules
      4.08.03.03 Fines imposed by the Commission
        4.08.03.03.05 Compliance with general principles and fundamental rights
          4.08.03.03.05.01 Equal treatment
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.08 Competition
    4.08.03 Implementation of the competition rules
      4.08.03.03 Fines imposed by the Commission
        4.08.03.03.04 Fines for infringement of Articles 101 TFEU and 102 TFEU (Articles 81 EC and 82 EC)
          4.08.03.03.04.02 Basic amount
            4.08.03.03.04.02.02 Basic amount according to the 1998 Guidelines
              4.08.03.03.04.02.02.02 Weighting of the starting amount
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.08 Competition
    4.08.03 Implementation of the competition rules
      4.08.03.03 Fines imposed by the Commission
        4.08.03.03.06 Obligation to state the reasons for a decision
          4.08.03.03.06.02 Gravity and duration of the infringement
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.08 Competition
    4.08.03 Implementation of the competition rules
      4.08.03.03 Fines imposed by the Commission
        4.08.03.03.04 Fines for infringement of Articles 101 TFEU and 102 TFEU (Articles 81 EC and 82 EC)
          4.08.03.03.04.02 Basic amount
            4.08.03.03.04.02.02 Basic amount according to the 1998 Guidelines
              4.08.03.03.04.02.02.03 Increase for deterrence
1 The legal order of the European Union
  1.01 Sources of EU law
    1.01.02 General principles of law
      1.01.02.04 Legal certainty
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.08 Competition
    4.08.03 Implementation of the competition rules
      4.08.03.03 Fines imposed by the Commission
        4.08.03.03.05 Compliance with general principles and fundamental rights
          4.08.03.03.05.03 Penalties must have a proper legal basis
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.08 Competition
    4.08.03 Implementation of the competition rules
      4.08.03.03 Fines imposed by the Commission
        4.08.03.03.04 Fines for infringement of Articles 101 TFEU and 102 TFEU (Articles 81 EC and 82 EC)
          4.08.03.03.04.03 Adjustment to the basic amount
            4.08.03.03.04.03.01 Attenuating/mitigating circumstances according to the 1998 and 2006 Guidelines
              4.08.03.03.04.03.01.06 Cessation of the infringement upon the Commission's first intervention
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.08 Competition
    4.08.03 Implementation of the competition rules
      4.08.03.03 Fines imposed by the Commission
        4.08.03.03.04 Fines for infringement of Articles 101 TFEU and 102 TFEU (Articles 81 EC and 82 EC)
          4.08.03.03.04.03 Adjustment to the basic amount
            4.08.03.03.04.03.01 Attenuating/mitigating circumstances according to the 1998 and 2006 Guidelines
              4.08.03.03.04.03.01.05 Non-implementation of the offending agreements
                4.08.03.03.04.03.01.05.02 Non-implementation in practice of the offending agreements
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.08 Competition
    4.08.03 Implementation of the competition rules
      4.08.03.03 Fines imposed by the Commission
        4.08.03.03.04 Fines for infringement of Articles 101 TFEU and 102 TFEU (Articles 81 EC and 82 EC)
          4.08.03.03.04.00 General
1 The legal order of the European Union
  1.01 Sources of EU law
    1.01.02 General principles of law
      1.01.02.05 Rights of the defence and procedural guarantees
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.08 Competition
    4.08.03 Implementation of the competition rules
      4.08.03.03 Fines imposed by the Commission
        4.08.03.03.08 Judicial review
          4.08.03.03.08.03 Review in the exercise of unlimited jurisdiction
            4.08.03.03.08.03.02 Power to vary the amount of the fine
              4.08.03.03.08.03.02.02 Reduction


Citations of case-law or legislation

References in grounds of judgment

Operative part

Opinion

Information not available


Dates

Date of the lodging of the application initiating proceedings

  • 04/07/2007

Date of the Opinion

Information not available

Date of the hearing

Information not available

Date of delivery

16/06/2011


References

Publication in the Official Journal

Application: OJ C 211 from 08.09.2007, p.43

Judgment: OJ C 226 from 30.07.2011, p.23

Name of the parties

Heineken Nederland and Heineken v Commission

Notes on Academic Writings

  1. Idot, Laurence: Ententes horizontales et preuve d'un cartel. Le Tribunal réduit les amendes infligées dans l'entente sur le marché néerlandais de la bière pour insuffisance de preuves sur l'un des aspects de l'entente et durée excessive de la procédure, Europe 2011 Août-Sept. Comm. nº 8-9 p.33 (FR)
  2. Ludding, R. ; Pasaribu, F.: "De Nederlander betaalt teveel voor zijn biertje", Markt & Mededinging 2012 p.20-24 (NL)



Procedural Analysis Information

Source of the question referred for a preliminary ruling

Information not available

Subject-matter

  • Competition
  • - Agreements, decisions and concerted practices
  • - Concerted practices

Provisions of national law referred to

Information not available

Provisions of international law referred to

Information not available

Procedure and result

  • Actions for annulment : application granted
  • Actions for annulment : dismissal on substantive grounds
  • Action for damages : application granted

Formation of the Court

sixième chambre élargie (Tribunal)

Judge-Rapporteur

Vadapalas

Advocate General

Information not available

Language(s) of the Case

  • Dutch

Language(s) of the Opinion

    Information not available