Judgment of the Court (First Chamber) of 25 January 2007 — Sumitomo Metal Industries Ltd and Nippon Steel Corp. v Commission of the European Communities

(Joined Cases C-403/04 P and C-405/04 P) (1)

(Appeals - Competition - Agreements, decisions and concerted practices - Market in seamless steel tubes - Protection of domestic markets - Burden of proof and production of evidence - Duration of the proceedings before the Court of First Instance)

(2007/C 56/03)

Language of the case: English

Parties

Appellants: Sumitomo Metal Industries Ltd (represented by: C. Vajda QC and G. Sproul and S. Szlezinger, Solicitors) and Nippon Steel Corp (represented by: J.-F. Bellis and K. Van Hove, avocats)

Other parties to the proceedings: JFE Engineering Corp, formerly NKK Corp., JFE Steel Corp., formerly Kawasaki Steel Corp., Commission of the European Communities (represented by: N. Khan and A. Whelan, Agents), EFTA Surveillance Authority

Re:

Appeals against the judgment of the Court of First Instance (Second Chamber) of 8 July 2004 in Joined Cases T-67/00, T-68/00, T-71/00 and T-78/00 JFE Engineering Corp. and Others v Commission partially annulling Commission Decision 2003/382/EC of 8 December 1999 relating to a proceeding under Article 81 of the EC Treaty (Case IV/E-1/35.860-B seamless steel tubes) (notified under document number C(1999) 4154) and reducing the amount of the fine imposed on the applicants.

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:

(1)  OJ C 284, 20.11.2004.