Judgment of the Court (Third Chamber) of 18 December 2008 - Coop de France Bétail et Viande, formerly Fédération nationale de la coopération bétail et viande (FNCBV) / Fédération nationale des syndicats d'exploitants agricoles (FNSEA), Fédération nationale bovine (FNB), Fédération nationale des producteurs de lait (FNPL), Jeunes agriculteurs (JA) v Commission of the European Communities, French Republic
(Joined Cases C-101/07 P and C-110/07 P) 1 (Appeals - Competition - Market in beef and veal - Agreement between national federations of farmers and slaughterers with the object of suspending imports of beef and veal and fixing a minimum purchase price - Fines - Regulation No 17 - Article 15(2) - Taking into account of the turnover of undertakings which are members of the federations)
Language of the case: French
Parties
Appellants: Coop de France Bétail et Viande, formerly Fédération nationale de la coopération bétail et viande (FNCBV) (represented by M. Ponsard, avocat) (C-101/07 P), Fédération nationale des syndicats d'exploitants agricoles (FNSEA), Fédération nationale bovine (FNB), Fédération nationale des producteurs de lait (FNPL), Jeunes agriculteurs (JA) (represented by V. Ledoux and B. Neouze, avocats) (C-110/07 P),
Other parties to the proceedings: French Republic (represented by G. de Bergues and S. Ramet, Agents), Commission of the European Communities (represented by A. Bouquet and X. Lewis, Agents)
Re:
Appeal against the judgment of the Court of First Instance (First Chamber) of 13 December 2006 in Joined Cases T-217/03 and T-245/03 FNCBV and Others v Commission, by which the Court of First Instance dismissed the applicants' application primarily, to annul Commission Decision 2003/600/EC of 2 April 2003 relating to a proceeding pursuant to Article 81 of the EC Treaty (OJ 2003 L 209, p. 12) or, alternatively, to cancel or reduce the fine imposed by that decision - Constituent elements of a cartel - Need for acquiescence of the parties - Method of calculating the fines - Entitlement to take into account the turnover of the members of an association where it does not have formal power to bind its members - Duty to state reasons and infringement of the rights of the defence
Operative part of the judgment
The Court:
1. Dismisses the appeals;
2. Orders Coop de France bétail et viande, formerly Fédération nationale de la coopération bétail et viande (FNCBV), Fédération nationale des syndicats d'exploitants agricoles (FNSEA), Fédération nationale bovine (FNB), Fédération nationale des producteurs de lait (FNPL) and Jeunes agriculteurs (JA) to pay the costs;
3. Orders the French Republic to bear its own costs.
____________1 - OJ C 95, 28.04.2007.