Judgment of the General Court (Fourth Chamber) of 6 March 2012 --
   UPM-Kymmene v Commission

   (Case T-53/06)

   Competition -- Agreements, decisions and concerted practices -- Plastic
   industrial bags sector -- Decision finding an infringement of Article
   81 EC -- Duration of the infringement -- Single and continuous
   infringement -- Fines -- Gravity of the infringement -- Mitigating
   circumstances -- Undertaking playing a passive role -- Proportionality

   1.                     Competition -- Administrative procedure --
   Commission decision finding an infringement -- Evidence which has to be
   gathered -- Degree of evidential value required (Art. 81(1) EC) (see
   para. 28)

   2.                     Competition -- Agreements, decisions and
   concerted practices -- Agreements and concerted practices constituting
   a single infringement -- Undertakings that may be held responsible for
   participating in an overall cartel -- Criteria -- Participation in
   identical or similar collusive arrangements covering the same products
   -- Not included (Art. 81(1) EC) (see paras 52-54, 62, 65)

   3.                     Competition -- Fines -- Amount -- Determination
   -- Criteria -- Deterrent effect of the fine -- Application of a
   multiplying coefficient -- Taking into account of the overall turnover
   of the undertaking -- Discretion of the Commission (Art. 81(1) EC;
   Council Regulation No 1/2003, Art. 23(2); Commission Notice 98/C 9/03,
   Section 1A, fourth and fifth paras) (see paras 76-77, 79-83)

   4.                     Competition -- Fines -- Amount -- Determination
   -- Turnover taken into consideration -- Reference year -- Last complete
   year of the infringement (Art. 81(1) EC; Council Regulation No 1/2003,
   Art. 23(2)) (see paras 88, 91-92)

   5.                     Competition -- Fines -- Amount -- Determination
   -- Criteria -- Gravity of the infringement -- Mitigating circumstances
   -- Passive or `follow-my-leader' role of the undertaking -- Criteria
   for assessment (Art. 81(1) EC; Council Regulation No 1/2003, Art.
   23(2); Commission Notice 98/C 9/03, Section 3, first indent) (see paras
   107-108)

   6.                     Competition -- Fines -- Amount -- Determination
   -- Non-imposition or reduction of the fine for cooperation of the
   undertaking concerned -- Need for conduct which facilitated the
   Commission's finding of an infringement -- Inability to supply
   information because relevant documents not kept following the transfer
   of the subsidiary -- No effect (Art. 81(1) EC; Council Regulation No
   1/2003, Art. 23(2); Commission Notice 96/C 207/04) (see paras 115-117)

   7.                     Competition -- Fines -- Amount -- Determination
   -- Criteria -- Gravity of the infringement -- Aggravating circumstances
   -- Repeated infringement -- Similar infringements successively
   committed by two subsidiaries of the same parent (Art. 81(1) EC;
   Council Regulation No 1/2003, Art. 23(2); Commission Notice 98/C 9/03)
   (see paras 129-133)

   8.                     Competition -- Fines -- Amount -- Determination
   -- Deterrent effect -- General requirement having to guide the
   Commission throughout the calculation of fines -- Specific stage for an
   overall assessment of all relevant circumstances not imperative (Art.
   81(1) EC; Council Regulation No 1/2003, Art. 23(2); Commission Notice
   98/C 9/03, Section 1A) (see paras 134-138)

   9.                     Competition -- Fines -- Amount -- Determination
   -- Criteria -- Gravity of the infringement -- Obligation to take
   account of the actual impact on the market -- Scope (Art. 81(1) EC;
   Council Regulation No 1/2003, Art. 23(2); Commission Notice 98/C 9/03)
   (see paras 143-146)

   Re:

   APPLICATION for annulment of Commission Decision C(2005) 4634 final of
   30 November 2005 relating to a proceeding pursuant to Article 81 [EC]
   (Case COMP/F/38.354 -- Industrial bags).

   Operative part

   The Court:

   1.

   Annuls Commission Decision C(2005) 4634 final of 30 November 2005
   relating to a proceeding pursuant to Article 81 [EC] (Case
   COMP/F/38.354 -- Industrial bags) in so far as it holds UPM-Kymmene Oyj
   liable for the single and continuous infringement referred to in
   Article 1(1) thereof, in respect of the period prior to 10 October
   1995;

   2.

   Sets the amount of the fine imposed by Article 2(j) of that decision at
   EUR 50.7 million;

   3.

   Dismisses the action as to the remainder;

   4.

   Orders the European Commission and UPM-Kymmene each to bear their own
   costs.