Judgment of the General Court (Third Chamber) of 12 December 2012

Almamet GmbH Handel mit Spänen und Pulvern aus Metall v European Commission

Competition — Agreements, decisions and concerted practices — Market for calcium carbide and magnesium for the steel and gas industries in the EEA, with the exception of Ireland, Spain, Portugal and the United Kingdom — Decision finding an infringement of Article 81 EC — Price-fixing and market-sharing — Rights of the defence — Commission’s powers in inspections — Single and continuous infringement — Fines — Cooperation during the administrative procedure — Proportionality — 2006 Guidelines on the method of setting fines

Case T‑410/09


Top of the page Documents in the Case
Document Date Name of the parties Subject-matter Curia EUR-Lex Autres Liens
Judgment (OJ)
18/01/2013 Almamet v Commission
Judgment
ECLI:EU:T:2012:676
12/12/2012 Almamet v Commission
Judgment (Information)
ECLI:EU:T:2012:676
12/12/2012 Almamet v Commission
Order (OJ)
18/06/2010 Almamet v Commission
Application (OJ)
19/12/2009 Almamet v Commission
Order
ECLI:EU:T:2010:179
07/05/2010 Almamet v Commission
Order (Information)
ECLI:EU:T:2010:179
07/05/2010 Almamet v Commission
Top of the page Legal analysis of the decision or of the case

Reports of Cases

published in the electronic Reports of Cases (Court Reports - general - 'Information on unpublished decisions' section)

Subject-matter

Partial annulment of Commission’s Decision C (2009) 5791 final of 22 July 2009, relating to a proceeding under Article 81 EC and Article 53 EEA (Case COMP/F/39.396 — Calcium carbide and magnesium based reagents for the steel industry), concerning a cartel on the calcium carbide and on the magnesium market in a large part of the EEA, to fix prices, divide the market and share information and, in the alternative, reduction of the fine imposed on the applicant.

Systematic classification scheme

1.
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
        4.08.03.02.05 Investigations
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
        4.08.03.02.05 Investigations
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
    4.08.01 Agreements, decisions and concerted practices
      4.08.01.03 Exemption from the prohibition
        4.08.01.03.01 Conditions for exemption
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)
          4.08.03.03.04.04 Leniency
            4.08.03.03.04.04.03 Partial immunity
              4.08.03.03.04.04.03.03 Added value of the evidence
                4.08.03.03.04.04.03.03.02 2002 Notice
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
            4.08.03.03.04.03.05 Maximum 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
        4.08.03.03.05 Compliance with general principles and fundamental rights
          4.08.03.03.05.02 Principle of proportionality
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
            4.08.03.03.04.03.05 Maximum 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
        4.08.03.03.04 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
            4.08.03.03.04.03.05 Maximum 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
        4.08.03.03.04 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
            4.08.03.03.04.03.05 Maximum 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
        4.08.03.03.04 Fines for infringement of Articles 101 TFEU and 102 TFEU (Articles 81 EC and 82 EC)
          4.08.03.03.04.00 General


Citations of case-law or legislation

References in grounds of judgment

Operative part

Information not available

Opinion

Information not available


Dates

Date of the lodging of the application initiating proceedings

  • 07/10/2009

Date of the Opinion

Information not available

Date of the hearing

Information not available

Date of delivery

12/12/2012


References

Publication in the Official Journal

Application: OJ C 312 from 19.12.2009, p.34

Order: OJ C 179 from 03.07.2010, p.39

Judgment: OJ C 32 from 02.02.2013, p.17

Name of the parties

Almamet v Commission

Notes on Academic Writings

  1. Idot, Laurence: Cartels, amendes et capacité contributive. Premier examen par le Tribunal de la procédure dite « inability to pay » (ITP) dans l'affaire du marché du carbure de calcium et de magnésium, Europe 2013 Février Comm. nº 2 p.40-41 (FR)



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 : dismissal on substantive grounds
  • Appeal brought against a sanction : dismissal on substantive grounds

Formation of the Court

troisième chambre (Tribunal)

Judge-Rapporteur

Gratsias

Advocate General

Information not available

Language(s) of the Case

  • English

Language(s) of the Opinion

    Information not available