Judgment of the General Court (Sixth Chamber) of 27 September 2012

Vermeer Infrastructuur BV v European Commission

Competition — Agreements, decisions and concerted practices — Netherlands market in road pavement bitumen — Decision finding an infringement of Article 81 EC — Existence and classification of an agreement — Restriction of competition — Guidelines on the applicability of Article 81 EC to horizontal cooperation agreements — Calculation of the amount of the fines — Gravity and duration of the infringement — Duty to state reasons — Rights of the defence

Case T‑353/06


Top of the page Documents in the Case
Document Date Name of the parties Subject-matter Curia EUR-Lex Autres Liens
Judgment (OJ)
26/10/2012 Vermeer Infrastructuur v Commission
Judgment
ECLI:EU:T:2012:484
27/09/2012 Vermeer Infrastructuur v Commission
Judgment (Information)
ECLI:EU:T:2012:484
27/09/2012 Vermeer Infrastructuur v Commission
Application (OJ)
27/01/2007 Vermeer Infrastructuur 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published in the electronic Reports of Cases (Court Reports - general - 'Information on unpublished decisions' section)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

First, annulment in full or, in the alternative, partial annulment of Commission Decision C(2006) 4090 final of 13 September 2006 relating to a proceeding under Article 81 EC (Case COMP/F/38.456 – Bitumen – Netherlands) concerning agreements fixing the gross price of road bitumen in the Netherlands and establishing a uniform minimum rebate for road construction companies belonging to the cartel and a lower maximum rebate for other road construction companies and, second; and in the alternative, annulment or reduction of the fine imposed on the claimant

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
        4.08.03.02.08 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
        4.08.03.02.06 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
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
                4.08.03.03.04.02.02.01.01 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
        4.08.03.03.04 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
    4.08.01 Agreements, decisions and concerted practices
      4.08.01.06 null
        4.08.01.06.01
4 Internal policy of the European Union
  4.08 Competition
    4.08.01 Agreements, decisions and concerted practices
      4.08.01.06 null
        4.08.01.06.01
2 Institutional framework of the European Union
  2.05 Legal acts of the European Union
    2.05.06 Statement of reasons
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
        4.08.03.02.06 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
        4.08.03.02.06 Hearing of persons concerned and of third parties / Access to the file


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

  • 05/12/2006

Date of the Opinion

Information not available

Date of the hearing

Information not available

Date of delivery

27/09/2012


References

Publication in the Official Journal

Application: OJ C 20 from 27.01.2007, p.22

Judgment: OJ C 355 from 17.11.2012, p.16

Name of the parties

Vermeer Infrastructuur v Commission

Notes on Academic Writings

  1. Idot, Laurence: Cartels et « double entente horizontale », Europe 2012 Novembre Comm. nº 11 p.36-38 (FR)



Procedural Analysis Information

Source of the question referred for a preliminary ruling

Information not available

Subject-matter

  • Competition
  • - Agreements, decisions and 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

sixième chambre (Tribunal)

Judge-Rapporteur

Soldevila Fragoso

Advocate General

Information not available

Language(s) of the Case

  • Dutch

Language(s) of the Opinion

    Information not available