Judgment of the Court of First Instance of 30 September 2009 — Akzo Nobel and Others v Commission

(Case T-175/05) (1)

(Competition - Agreements, decisions and concerted practices - Market for monochloroacetic acid - Decision finding an infringement of Article 81 EC - Action for annulment - Admissibility - Market sharing and price fixing - Attributability of the infringement - Fines - Obligation to state the reasons on which the decision is based - Gravity and duration of the infringement - Deterrent effect)

2009/C 282/67

Language of the case: English

Parties

Applicants: Akzo Nobel NV (Arnhem, Netherlands); Akzo Nobel Nederland BV (Arnhem); Akzo Nobel AB (Stockholm, Sweden); Akzo Nobel Chemicals BV (Amersfoort, Netherlands); Akzo Nobel Functional Chemicals BV (Amersfoort); Akzo Nobel Base Chemicals AB (Skoghall, Sweden); and Eka Chemicals AB (Bohus, Sweden) (represented initially by C. Swaak and A. Käyhkö, and subsequently by C. Swaak and M. van der Woude, lawyers)

Defendant: Commission of the European Communities (represented initially by P. Hellström and F. Amato, and subsequently by A. Bouquet and X. Lewis, Agents)

Re:

Application, principally, for annulment of Commission Decision C(2004) 4876 final of 19 January 2005 relating to a proceeding pursuant to Article 81 [EC] and Article 53 of the EEA Agreement (Case COMP/E-1/37.773 — MCAA) and, in the alternative, reduction of the fine imposed on the applicants.

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:

(1)  OJ C 171, 9.7.2005.