Judgment of the General Court of 14 March 2013 - Dole Food and Dole Germany v Commission
(Case T-588/08)
(Competition - Agreements, decisions and concerted practices - Market in bananas - Decision finding an infringement of Article 81 EC - Concept of a concerted practice having an anti-competitive object - Information exchange system - Obligation to state the reasons on which the decision is based - Rights of the defence - Guidelines on the method of setting fines - Gravity of the infringement)
Language of the case: English
Parties
Applicants: Dole Food Company, Inc. (Westlake Village, California, United States); and Dole Germany OHG (Hamburg, Germany) (represented by: J.-F. Bellis, lawyer)
Defendant: European Commission (represented: initially by X. Lewis and M. Kellerbauer, and subsequently by M. Kellerbauer and P. Van Nuffel, Agents)
Re:
Application for annulment of Commission Decision C(2008) 5955 final of 15 October 2008 relating to a proceeding under Article 81 EC (Case COMP/39 188 − Bananas)
Operative part of the judgment
The Court:
Dismisses the action.
Orders Dole Food Company, Inc. and Dole Germany OHG to pay the costs.
____________1 - OJ C 44, 21.2.2009.