EU Judgments in Joined Cases C-29/23 P Ferriera Valsabbia and Valsabbia Investimenti v Commission and C-30/23 P Alfa Acciai v Commission and Case C- 31/23 P Ferriere Nord v Commission

Friday 4th October 2024

EU Judgments in Joined Cases C-29/23 P Ferriera Valsabbia and Valsabbia Investimenti v Commission and C-30/23 P Alfa Acciai v Commission and Case C- 31/23 P Ferriere Nord v Commission

(Competition)

In 2002, the European Commission fined eight companies and an association of companies for an anti-competitive cartel on the Italian concrete reinforcing bar market between December 1989 and July 2000 (see Commission Decision of 17 December 2002).

In 2007, the General Court annulled this decision on the grounds that its legal basis was no longer in force at the time of its adoption, the ECSC Treaty having expired on July 23, 2002 (see judgments October 25, 2007, SP and Others v Commission: joint casesT-27/03, T-46/03, T-58/03, T-79/03, T-80/03, T-97/03, T-98/03, as well as T-45/03, T-77/03 and T-94/03 – press release n. 78/07).

Subsequently, on September 30, 2009, the Commission adopted a new decision, addressed to the same undertakings as those referred to in the 2002 decision and essentially repeating its content and conclusions. In particular, the fines imposed remained unchanged.

Confirmed in principle by the General Court (see judgments of December 9, 2014 T- 472/09 and T-55/10, T-69/10, T-70/10, T-83/10, T-85/10, T-90/10, T-91/10, T-92/10, T-489/09, T-490/09 and T-56/10), the 2009 decision was annulled by the Court of Justice in respect of five undertakings because of irregularities in the administrative procedure leading to its adoption (see Judgments September 21, 2017, Ferriera Valsabbia and Others v Commission, C-85/15 P, C-86/15 P, C-87/15 P, C-88/15 P and C- 89/15 P).

Once this procedure had been resumed, on July 4, 2019 the Commission adopted a decision re-establishing the infringement that was the subject of the 2009 decision (see summary).

This decision was addressed to the five undertakings for which the 2009 decision had been annulled. In view of the length of the procedure, the fines were reduced by 50%.

In September 2019, three of these companies – Ferriera Valsabbia SpA and Valsabia investimenti SpA, Alfa Acciai SpA and Ferriere Nord SpA – appealed to have the 2019 decision annulled.

Having been unsuccessful before the General Court (see judgments Ferriera Valsabbia and Valsabbia Investimenti v Commission T-655/19, Alfa Acciai/Commission T-656/19 and Ferriere Nord/Commission T-667/19), they have appealed to the Court of Justice.

Background Documents C-29/23 P and C-30/23 P 

Background Documents C-31/23 P

Freitag, 4. Oktober 2024

Urteile des Gerichtshofs in den verbundenen Rechtsmittelsachen C‑29/23 P Ferriera Valsabbia und Valsabbia Investimenti / Kommission und C‑30/23 P Alfa Acciai / Kommission, sowie in der Rechtsmittelsache C‑31/23 P Ferriere Nord / Kommission

Bewehrungsstahl-Kartell

Am 4. Juli 2019 erließ die Kommission erneut einen Beschluss, mit dem sie fünf italienischen Herstellern von Bewehrungsstahl Geldbußen in Höhe von insgesamt 16 Mio. Euro wegen Beteiligung an einem Preiskartell auferlegte (siehe Daily News vom 4.7.2019). Die beiden vorangegangenen Beschlüsse von 2002 bzw. 2009 hatten das Gericht bzw. der Gerichtshof wegen Wahl einer falschen Rechtsgrundlage bzw. wegen Verstoßes gegen wesentliche Formvorschriften für nichtig erklärt (siehe Zusammenfassung des Beschlusses).

Die oben genannten Unternehmen sowie das Unternehmen Feralpi (T‑657/19) haben diesen neuen Beschluss der Kommission vor dem Gericht der angefochten, ohne Erfolg: Mit Urteilen vom 9. November 2022 wies das Gericht ihre Klagen ab (siehe Pressemitteilung Nr. 180/22).

Die oben genannten Unternehmen haben daraufhin Rechtsmittel beim Gerichtshof eingelegt. Ohne Schlussanträge.

Weitere Informationen C-29/23

Weitere Informationen C-30/23

Weitere Informationen C-31/23