Judgment of the General Court (Eighth Chamber) of 16 September 2013 – PROAS v European Commission
(Case T-495/07) 1
(Competition – Agreements, decisions and concerted practices – Spanish market for penetration bitumen– Decision finding an infringement of Article 81 EC – Annual market-sharing and price-fixing agreements – Translation of the statement of objections – Calculation of the amount of the fine – Reasonable time – Res judicata)
Language of the case: Spanish
Parties
Applicant: Productos Asfálticos (PROAS), SA (Madrid, Spain) (represented: initially by C. Fernández Vicién, A. Pereda Miquel and P. Carmona Botana, then C. Fernández Vicién and A. Pereda Miquel and finally C. Fernández Vicién, lawyers)
Defendant: European Commission (represented by: F. Castillo de la Torre, acting as Agent, assisted initially by J. Rivas Andrés, lawyer, and M. Heenan Bróna, Solicitor, then J. Rivas Andrés and J. Gutiérrez Gisbert, lawyers, and finally J. Rivas Andrés)
Re:
Application for annulment of Decision C(2007) 4441 final of the Commission, of 3 October 2007, relating to a procedure of application of Article 81 (EC) [Case COMP/38.710 – Bitumen (Spain)], and the reduction of the amount of the fine imposed on the applicant by that decision.
Operative part of the judgment
The Court:
Dismisses the action.
Dismisses the claim of the European Commission seeking an increase of the amount of the fine.
Orders Productos Asfálticos (PROAS), SA to pay the costs.
________________________1 OJ C 64, 9.3.2008.