Judgment of the General Court (Eighth Chamber) of 26 October 2017 — KPN v Commission

(Case T‑394/15)

(Competition — Concentrations — Netherlands market for television services and telecommunications services — Decision declaring the concentration compatible with the internal market and the EEA Agreement — Commitments — Duty to state reasons — Relevant market — Vertical effects — Judicial review)

1.      Acts of the institutions — Statement of reasons — Obligation — Scope — Decision to apply rules on concentrations between undertakings — Decision authorising a concentration operation

(Art. 296 TFEU; Council Regulation No 139/2004)

(see paras 49-51)

2.      Acts of the institutions — Statement of reasons — Obligation — Scope — Plea based on absence or inadequacy of the statement of reasons — Plea alleging incorrectness of the statement of reasons — Distinction

(Art. 296 TFEU)

(see para. 52)

3.      Concentrations between undertakings — Examination by the Commission — Definition of the market in question — Possibility for the Commission to leave that definition open — Conditions

(Council Regulation No 139/2004)

(see para. 60)

4.      Concentrations between undertakings — Assessment of the compatibility with the internal market — Anti-competitive effects arising from a direct vertical relationship — Lack of analysis — Commission’s obligation to state reasons — Scope

(Council Regulation No 139/2004)

(see paras 57-73)

Re:

APPLICATION pursuant to Article 263 TFEU for annulment of Commission Decision C(2014) 7241 final of 10 October 2014 declaring the concentration involving the acquisition by Liberty Global plc of sole control over Ziggo NV to be compatible with the internal market and the EEA Agreement (Case COMP/M.7000 — Liberty Global/Ziggo) (OJ 2015 C 145, p. 7).

Operative part

The Court:

1. Annuls Commission Decision C(2014) 7241 final declaring the concentration involving the acquisition by Liberty Global plc of sole control over Ziggo NV to be compatible with the internal market and the EEA Agreement (Case COMP/M.7000 — Liberty Global/Ziggo);

2. Orders the European Commission to pay the costs.