Judgment of the General Court (First Chamber) of 26 September 2017 – Quimitécnica.com and de Mello v Commission

(Case T-564/10 RENV)

(Competition — Agreements, decisions and concerted practices — European market for animal feed phosphates — Fine imposed jointly and severally following a settlement procedure — Payment in instalments — Decision requiring the provision of a bank guarantee from a bank with a long-term ‘AA’ credit rating — Action for annulment — Challengeable act — Admissibility — Obligation to state reasons — Proportionality)

1.      Action for annulment – Actionable measures – Concept – Commission decision requiring the provision of a bank guarantee in order for the application to pay in instalments to be granted, in the context of competition law  – Included

(Art. 263 TFEU; Commission Regulation No 2342/2002, Arts 85 and 86(5))

(see paras 42-47)

2.      Action for annulment – Interest in bringing proceedings – Condition – Action capable of procuring a benefit for the party bringing it – Scope – Commission decision imposing a fine for breach of the competition rules – Action brought by the undertaking on which the fine was imposed challenging the calculation of an interest rate in the case of payment by instalments – Payment of interest at the increased rate already applied  – Admissibility

(Arts 101 TFEU and 263 TFEU; Commission Regulation No 2342/2002, Arts 85 and 86(5))

(see para. 48)

3.      Acts of the institutions – Statement of reasons – Obligation – Scope – Commission decision requiring the provision of a bank guarantee in order for the application to pay in instalments to be granted, in the context of competition law

(Art. 296 TFEU; Commission Regulation No 2342/2002, Art. 85)

(see paras 59-66)

4.      Competition – Fines – Discretion of the Commission – Scope – Power to fix the methods of payment of the fines – Requirement of the provision of a bank guarantee from a bank with a long-term ‘AA’ credit rating – Breach of principle of proportionality – None

(Commission Regulation No 2342/2002, Art. 85)

(see paras 73-84)

Re:

Application based on Article 263 TFEU seeking partial annulment of the decision allegedly set out in the letter from the Commission’s accounting officer of 8 October 2010 concerning payment of the fines imposed on the applicants for infringement of competition rules by Commission Decision C(2010) 5004 final of 20 July 2010 relating to proceedings under Article 101 TFEU and Article 53 of the EEA Agreement (Case COMP/38.886 — Animal feed phosphates), in so far as that letter requires the provision of a guarantee from a bank that has received a long-term ‘AA’ credit rating as a condition for granting the applicants’ request for additional time to pay the fine jointly and severally imposed on them.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Rejects the plea of inadmissibility;

2. Dismisses the action;

3. Orders the European Commission to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by Quimitécnica.com — Comércio e Indústria Química, SA and José de Mello — Sociedade Gestora de Participações Sociais, SA relating to the appeal proceedings before the Court of Justice and the proceedings before the General Court prior to the appeal;

4. Orders Quimitécnica.com — Comércio e Indústria Química, José de Mello — Sociedade Gestora de Participações Sociais and the Commission each to bear their own respective costs relating to the proceedings referred back to the General Court.