Judgment of the General Court (Seventh Chamber) of 2 February 2012 --
   EI du Pont de Nemours and Others v Commission
   (Case T-76/08)

   Competition -- Agreements, decisions and concerted practices -- Market
   for chloroprene rubber -- Decision finding an infringement of
   Article 81 EC and Article 53 of the EEA Agreement -- Price-fixing --
   Market-sharing -- Imputability of the unlawful conduct -- Joint
   venture -- Guidelines on the method of setting fines -- Mitigating
   circumstances -- Cooperation

   1.                     Competition -- European Union rules --
   Infringements -- Attribution -- Parent company and subsidiaries --
   Economic unit -- Criteria for assessment (Art. 81 EC; Council
   Regulation No 1/2003, Art. 23(2)) (see paras 58-62)

   2.                     Competition -- Agreements, decisions and
   concerted practices -- Proof -- Evidence adduced by the Commission --
   Assessment (Art. 81(1) EC) (see para. 105)

   3.                     Competition -- Fines -- Amount --
   Determination -- Judicial review -- Assessment of the duration of the
   infringement by progressive six-month thresholds -- Period longer than
   that of the actual participation in the infringement -- Lawfulness --
   Conditions (Council Regulation No 1/2003, Art. 23(2); Commission Notice
   2006/C 210/02) (see paras 127-130)

   4.                     Competition -- Fines -- Amount --
   Determination -- Criteria -- Reduction in the amount of the fine for
   cooperation of the undertaking concerned -- Conditions -- Discretion of
   the Commission (Commission Notice 2002/C 45/03) (see paras 138-145,
   148)

   Re:

   APPLICATION for, first, annulment of Articles 1 and 2 of Commission
   Decision C(2007) 5910 final of 5 December 2007 relating to a proceeding
   under Article 81 [EC] and Article 53 of the EEA Agreement (Case
   COMP/38629 -- Chloroprene Rubber), as amended by Commission Decision
   C(2008) 2974 final of 23 June 2008, in so far as they refer to EI du
   Pont de Nemours and Company and, second, a reduction in the amount of
   the fine imposed jointly and severally on the applicants by that
   decision.

   Operative part

   The Court:

   1.

   Dismisses the action;

   2.

   Orders EI du Pont de Nemours and Company, DuPont Performance Elastomers
   LLC and DuPont Performance Elastomers SA to pay the costs.