Judgment of the General Court (Ninth Chamber) of 29 February 2016

CompetitionFinesAmountDeterminationDiscretion of the CommissionJudicial reviewUnlimited jurisdiction of the EU judicatureScope (Art. 261 TFEU; Council Regulation No 1/2003, Art. 31) (see paras 30-33)

Agreements, decisions and concerted practicesDefinition of the marketDetermination of the relevant marketCriteria for assessmentSubstitutability of the products or services on the supply side or the demand sideScopeContract for international air freight forwarding services as a batch of services (Art. 101(1) TFEU; EEA Agreement, Art. 53(1); Commission Notices 97/C 372/03 and 2004/C 101/07, point 55) (see paras 41-43, 45, 46, 48, 50-52)

Agreements, decisions and concerted practicesEffect on trade between Member StatesAppreciable effectCriteria for assessmentPotential and significant effect (Art. 101(1) TFEU; EEA Agreement, Art. 53(1); Commission Notice 2004/C 101/07, point 53) (see paras 56-58, 67)

CompetitionTransportCompetition rulesAir transportRegulation No 17ScopeActivities directly concerning the provision of air transport servicesNot includedActivities not concerning the air transport market itself, but an upstream or downstream marketInclusion (Art. 101 TFEU; Council Regulations No 17, No 141, third recital and Art. 1) (see paras 113, 115-117, 121)

Agreements, decisions and concerted practicesAgreements between undertakingsConceptJoint intention as to the conduct to be adopted on the marketIncludedPursuance of negotiations on certain aspects of the restrictionNo effect (Art. 101(1) TFEU; EEA Agreement, Art. 53(1)) (see paras 138-140)

Agreements, decisions and concerted practicesConcerted practiceConceptCoordination and cooperation incompatible with the obligation on each undertaking to determine independently its conduct on the marketExchange of information between competitors (Art. 101(1) TFEU; EEA Agreement, Art. 53(1)) (see paras 141-143)

CompetitionAdministrative procedureCommission decision finding an infringementBurden of proving the infringement and its duration on the CommissionExtent of the burden of proofDegree of precision required of the evidence used by the CommissionBody of evidenceJudicial reviewScope (Art. 101 TFEU; Council Regulation No 1/2003, Art. 2) (see paras 144-149, 152, 154, 191)

CompetitionAdministrative procedureCommission decision finding an infringementUse as evidence of statements of other undertakings which participated in the infringementLawfulnessDeclarations against the interests of the person making themHigh probative value (Art. 101 TFEU; Council Regulation No 1/2003, Art. 2) (see paras 150, 151)

Agreements, decisions and concerted practicesParticipation in meetings having an anti-competitive objectCircumstances from which, where the undertaking concerned has not distanced itself from the decisions adopted, it may be concluded that it participated in the ensuing cartel (Art. 101(1) TFEU; EEA Agreement, Art. 53(1)) (see paras 165-167)

CompetitionFinesAmountDeterminationDetermination of the base amountCriteriaGravity of the infringementDetermination of the fine in proportion to the factors for assessment of the gravity of the infringementFactors to be taken into consideration (Art. 101 TFEU; Charter of Fundamental Rights, Art. 49(3); Council Regulation No 1/2003, Art. 23(3); Commission Notice 2006/C 210/02, points 6, 13 and 23) (see paras 208-210, 259-261)

CompetitionFinesAmountDeterminationDetermination of the base amountCriteriaOverall turnover of the undertaking concernedTurnover corresponding to the goods covered by the infringementTo be taken into consideration (Art. 101 TFEU; Council Regulation No 1/2003, Art. 23(2); Commission Notice 2006/C 210/02, point 6) (see paras 211-214)

CompetitionFinesGuidelines on the method of setting finesLegal natureIndicative rule of conduct implying a self-limitation on the discretion of the CommissionPossibility of the Commission departing therefromConditions (Art. 101 TFEU; Council Regulation No 1/2003, Art. 23(2); Commission Notice 2006/C 210/02, points 13 and 37) (see para. 215)

CompetitionFinesAmountDeterminationDetermination of the base amountDetermination of the value of salesSales carried out in direct or indirect relation to the infringementLimitation to sales actually affected by the cartelNoneInclusion of costs inherent to the prices of the goods and services sold (Art. 101 TFEU; Council Regulation No 1/2003, Art. 23(2); Commission Notice 2006/C 210/02, point 13) (see paras 228, 247, 257, 258)

CompetitionFinesAmountDeterminationDetermination of the base amountDetermination of the value of salesSales carried out in direct or indirect relation to the infringementCartel in the international freight forwarding sectorCartel covering transport services as a block of servicesAccount taken of the value of sales realised with transport services as a block of servicesLawfulness (Art. 101 TFEU; Council Regulation No 1/2003, Art. 23(2); Commission Notice 2006/C 210/02, point 13) (see paras 262, 263)

CompetitionFinesAmountDeterminationAdjustment of the basic amountMitigating circumstancesCooperation of the undertaking concerned outside the scope of the Leniency NoticeCriteria for assessment (Art. 101 TFEU; Council Regulation No 1/2003, Art. 23(2); Commission Notice 2006/C 210/02, point 29, fourth indent) (see paras 282, 283, 287, 299)

CompetitionFinesAmountDeterminationAdjustment of the basic amountMitigating circumstancesExistence of a cartel concerning an upstream marketAbsenceParticipation allegedly under constraint at meetings of undertakings having an anti-competitive purposeNone (Art. 101 TFEU; Council Regulation No 1/2003, Art. 23(2); Commission Notice 2006/C 210/02, point 29) (see paras 292-294, 296)

CompetitionAdministrative procedureObservance of the rights of the defenceAccess to the fileScopeRefusal to communicate a documentConsequencesNeed to draw a distinction, in relation to the burden of proof borne by the undertaking concerned, between incriminating and exculpatory documents (Art. 101 TFEU; Council Regulation No 1/2003, Art. 27(2); Commission Regulation No 773/2004, Art. 15) (see paras 308-311)

Re:

APPLICATION for annulment of Commission Decision C(2012) 1959 final of 28 March 2012 relating to a proceeding under Article 101 [TFEU] and Article 53 of the EEA Agreement (Case COMP/39462 — Freight forwarding), in so far as it concerns the applicants or, in the alternative, for variation of the fines imposed on them in that decision.

Operative part

The Court:

Dismisses the action;

Orders Kühne + Nagel International AG, Kühne + Nagel Management AG, Kühne + Nagel Ltd (Uxbridge), Kühne + Nagel Ltd (Shanghai) and Kühne + Nagel Ltd (Hong Kong) to pay the costs.