Judgment of the General Court (Fourth Chamber) of 16 November 2011 -
   RKW and JM Gesellschaft für industrielle Beteiligungen v Commission

   (Joined Cases T-55/06 and T-66/06)

   Competition - Agreements, decisions and concerted practices - Plastic
   industrial bags sector - Decision finding an infringement of Article 81
   EC - Fines - Guidelines for the calculation of fines - Maximum limit of
   10% of turnover - Implementation - Legality - Proportionality - Equal
   treatment - Single and continuous infringement - Attenuating
   circumstances - Exclusively passive role - Duty to state reasons -
   Imputability of unlawful conduct

   1.                     Competition - Fines - Amount - Determination -
   Discretion conferred on the Commission by Article 23(2) of Regulation
   No 1/2003 - Infringement of the principle that penalties must have a
   sound legal basis - None (Art. 81(1) EC; Council Regulation No 1/2003,
   Art. 23(2); Commission Notice 98/C 9/03) (see paras 19-20)

   2.                     Competition - Fines - Amount - Determination -
   Principle of equal treatment - Differences between undertakings arising
   from application of the maximum amount - Lawfulness (Art. 81(1) EC;
   Council Regulation No 1/2003, Art. 23(2); Commission Notice 98/C 9/03)
   (see paras 21, 24)

   3.                     Competition - Community rules - Infringements -
   Fines - Determination - Criteria - Raising of the general level of
   fines - Lawfulness - Conditions - Duty to state reasons - Scope (Arts
   81(1) EC and 253 EC; Council Regulation No 1/2003, Art. 23(2);
   Commission Notice 98/C 9/03) (see paras 31-32)

   4.                     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 81-83,
   86-87, 89)

   5.                     Competition - Fines - Amount - Determination -
   Criteria - Gravity of the infringement - Mitigating circumstances -
   Termination of the infringement after the Commission's intervention -
   Margin of discretion of the Commission (Art. 81(1) EC; Council
   Regulation No 1/2003, Art. 23(2); Commission Notice 98/C 9/03, Section
   3) (see para. 94)

   6.                     Competition - Fines - Amount - Determination -
   Non-imposition or reduction of the fine for cooperation of the
   undertaking concerned - Reduction for not disputing the facts -
   Conditions (Art. 81(1) EC; Council Regulation No 1/2003, Art. 23(2);
   Commission Notice 96/C 207/04, Title D, Section 2) (see paras 101-102)

   7.                     Competition - Community rules - Infringements -
   Attribution - Parent company and subsidiaries - Economic unit -
   Criteria for assessment - Presumption of decisive influence exercised
   by the parent company over its wholly-owned subsidiaries - Evidential
   obligations of the company seeking to rebut that presumption (Art.
   81(1) EC) (see paras 111-116)

   Re:

   APPLICATION for annulment of Commission Decision C (2005) 4634 final of
   30 November 2005 relating to a proceeding under Article 81 [EC] (Case
   COMP/F/38.354 - Industrial bags) and, in the alternative, for reduction
   of the fine imposed on the applicants.

   Operative part

   The Court:

   1.

   Dismisses the action;

   2.

   Orders RKW SE and JM Gesellschaft für industrielle Beteiligungen mbH &
   Co. KGaA to pay the costs.