Judgment of the General Court of 29 September 2021 – Nippon Chemi-Con Corporation v Commission

(Case T-363/18) ¹

(Competition – Agreements, decisions and concerted practices – Market for aluminium electrolytic capacitors and tantalum electrolytic capacitors – Decision finding an infringement of Article 101 TFEU and Article 53 of the EEA Agreement – Price coordination throughout the EEA – Concerted practice – Exchanges of sensitive business information – Territorial jurisdiction of the Commission – Rights of the defence and right to be heard – Inalterability of the measure – Single and continuous infringement – Restriction of competition by object – 2006 Guidelines on the method of setting fines – Value of sales – Obligation to state reasons – Proportionality – Equal treatment – Gravity of the infringement – Mitigating circumstances – Point 37 of the 2006 Guidelines on the method of setting fines – Unlimited jurisdiction)

Language of the case: English

Parties

Applicant: Nippon Chemi-Con Corporation (Tokyo, Japan) (represented by: H.-J. Niemeyer, M. Röhrig, I.-L. Stoicescu and P. Neideck, lawyers)

Defendant: European Commission (represented by: A. Cleenewerck de Crayencour, B. Ernst, T. Franchoo, C. Sjödin and L. Wildpanner, acting as Agents)

Re:

Application under Article 263 TFEU for, primarily, annulment of Commission Decision C(2018) 1768 final of 21 March 2018 relating to a proceeding under Article 101 [TFEU] and Article 53 of the EEA Agreement (Case AT.40136 – Capacitors), in so far as it concerns the applicant, and, in the alternative, annulment of the fine imposed on it by that decision or a reduction in the amount of that fine.

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:

Dismisses the action;

Orders Nippon Chemi-Con Corporation to bear its own costs and to pay the costs incurred by the European Commission.

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¹ OJ C 294, 20.8.2018.