Judgment of the General Court (Seventh Chamber) of 24 May 2012 —
JBF RAK v Council

(Case T‑555/10)

Subsidies — Imports of certain types of polyethylene terephthalate originating in Iran, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates — Definitive countervailing duty and definite collection of provisional duty — Articles 11(8), 15(1) and 30(5) of Regulation (EC) No 597/2009 — Principle of sound administration

1.                     Common commercial policy — Protection against subsidisation practices of non-Member States — Imposition of a definitive countervailing duty — Calculation error following incorrect information supplied by the main exporter (Council Regulation No 597/2009, Arts 15(1) and 30(1)) (see paras 37-42, 65, 66)

2.                     Common commercial policy — Protection against subsidisation practices of non-Member States — Course of the investigation — Communication to the parties concerned of the information gathered — Observations of the parties on the final information — Obligation on the Commission to take into account — Scope (Council Regulation No 597/2009, Art. 30(1), (2) and (5)) (see paras 68-87)

3.                     Common commercial policy — Protection against subsidisation practices of non-Member States — Course of the investigation — Powers of the Commission — Limits — Obligation of the undertakings concerned by a complaint to cooperate — Scope (Council Regulation No 597/2009, Arts 11(2) and 26) (see para. 80)

4.                     Common commercial policy — Protection against subsidisation practices of non-Member States — Course of the investigation — Obligation to check whether information provided by the parties concerned correct — Scope (Council Regulation No 597/2009, Art. 11(8)) (see paras 97-101, 104, 105)

5.                     Union law — Principles — Principle of sound administration — Duty of diligence — Administrative procedure — Investigation concerning subsidisation practices of non-Member States — Scope (see paras 112, 113)

Re:

APPLICATION for annulment of Council Implementing Regulation (EU) No 857/2010 of 27 September 2010 imposing a definitive countervailing duty and collecting definitely the provisional duty imposed on imports of certain types of polyethylene terephthalate originating in Iran, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (OJ 2010 L 254, p. 10).

Operative part

The Court:

1. Dismisses the action;

2. Orders JBF RAK LLC to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by the Council of the European Union;

3. Orders the European Commission to bear its own costs.