13.5.2019 |
EN |
Official Journal of the European Union |
C 164/28 |
Appeal brought on 28 February 2019 by Mylan Laboratories Ltd, Mylan, Inc. against the judgment of the General Court (Ninth Chamber) delivered on 12 December 2018 in Case T-682/14: Mylan Laboratories and Mylan v Commission
(Case C-197/19 P)
(2019/C 164/31)
Language of the case: English
Parties
Appellants: Mylan Laboratories Ltd, Mylan, Inc. (represented by: C. Firth, S. Kon, C. Humpe, Solicitors, V. Adamis, advocate)
Other party: European Commission
Form of order sought
The appellants claim that the Court should:
— |
set aside the judgment of the General Court in Case T-682/14 Mylan Laboratories Ltd and Mylan Inc. v European Commission insofar as it dismisses their application to annul the Decision of the Commission of 9 July 2014 (1) in Case AT.39612 — Perindopril (Servier) insofar as it concerns the applicants; or |
— |
annul or substantially reduce the fine; and/or |
— |
refer the case back to the General Court for determination in accordance with the judgment of the Court of Justice; and |
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order the Commission to pay the appellants’ legal and other costs and expenses in relation to this matter and any other measures that the Court of Justice considers appropriate. |
Pleas in law and main arguments
In support of the action, the appellants rely on five grounds of appeal supported by the following pleas.
1. |
First Ground of Appeal: The General Court erred in law in finding that Matrix and Les Laboratoires Servier were potential competitors at the time of the settlement. First plea: The General Court was wrong to conclude that the Commission was entitled to consider that Matrix and Niche could be classified as potential competitors on the basis of the Niche/Matrix Agreement. Second plea: The General Court misapplied the legal test for potential competition in reaching the conclusion that Matrix and Servier were potential competitors at the time of entering into the Settlement. |
2. |
Second Ground of Appeal: The General Court erred in law in finding that the settlement had the object of restricting competition. First plea: The General Court has erred in finding that a patent settlement can have the object of restricting competition even though the terms of that settlement are within the scope of the patent. Second plea: The General Court has erred in deriving the existence of a restriction of competition by object from the alleged inducement represented by the payment made by Servier to Matrix. Third plea: The General Court erred in the manner in which it inferred the existence of an inducement from the payment received by Matrix. |
3. |
Third Ground of Appeal: The General Court erred in declining to rule on the Commission’s classification of the settlement as a restriction of competition by effect. |
4. |
Fourth Ground of Appeal: The General Court erred in law in finding that Mylan Inc. exercised decisive influence over the conduct of Matrix during the relevant period. |
5. |
Fifth Ground of Appeal: The General Court has infringed Article 23 of Regulation 1/2003 (2) and the principles of nullum crimen nula poena sine lege, and legal certainty in finding that a fine could be imposed on the appellants. |
(1) Summary of Commission Decision of 9 July 2014 relating to a proceeding under Articles 101 and 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (Case AT.39612 — Perindopril (Servier)) (notified under document C(2014) 4955), OJ 2016, C 393, p. 7
(2) Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2003 of 16 December 2002 on the implementation of the rules on competition laid down in Articles 81 and 82 of the Treaty, OJ 2003, L 1, p. 1