Judgment of the General Court of 9 December 2014 — Riva Fire v Commission

(Case T-83/10) ¹

(Competition — Agreements, decisions and concerted practices — Market for concrete reinforcing bars in bars or coils — Decision finding an infringement of Article 65 CS after the expiry of the ECSC Treaty on the basis of Regulation (EC) No 1/2003 — Fixing of prices and payment terms — Limiting or controlling output or sales — Infringement of essential procedural requirements — Competence of the Commission — Legal basis — Consultation of the Advisory Committee on Restrictive Practices and Monopolies — Rights of the defence — Definition of the geographical market — Application of the principle of lex mitior — Infringement of Article 65 CS — Fines — Gravity and duration of the infringement — Extenuating circumstances — Proportionality — Application of the 1996 Leniency Notice)

Language of the case: Italian

Parties

Applicant: Riva Fire SpA (Milan, Italy) (represented by: M. Merola, M. Pappalardo and T. Ubaldi, lawyers)

Defendant: European Commission (represented initially by R. Sauer and B. Gencarelli, and subsequently by R. Sauer and R. Striani, acting as Agents, assisted by M. Moretto, lawyer)

Re:

Primarily, application for annulment of Commission Decision C(2009) 7492 final of 30 September 2009 relating to a proceeding under Article 65 CS (Case COMP/37.956 — Reinforcing bars, readoption), as amended by Commission Decision C(2009) 9912 final of 8 December 2009, and in the alternative application for a reduction in the amount of the fine imposed on the applicant.

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:

Fixes the amount of the fine imposed on Riva Fire SpA at EUR 26 093 000;

Dismisses the action as to the remainder;

Orders Riva Fire to bear its own costs and to pay three-quarters of the costs incurred by the European Commission; orders the Commission to bear one-quarter of its own costs.

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¹     OJ C 100, 17.4.2010.