77/592/EEC: Commission Decision of 8 September 1977 relating to a proceeding under Article 85 of the EEC Treaty (IV/312-366 - COBELPA/VNP) (Only the French and Dutch texts are authentic)

• Articles: 3

Article 1

The agreement to which S.A. Papeteries de Belgique, Brussels, S.A. Intermills, La Hulpe, Kon. Papierfabrieken Van Gelder Zonen N.V., Amsterdam, and Kon. Nederlandsche Papierfabriek N.V., Maastricht, were party in 1973 and 1974 and under which they exchanged monthly output and sales figures, broken down by type of paper and by country of destination, for their mass consumption uncoated wood-free printing paper and stationery business, and the agreements to which the undertakings listed in Article 3 were party from 1958 to the first half of 1976, agreements concerning the printing paper and stationery (but not newsprint) business, and under which: (a) they exchanged information on prices, rebates, price increases and reductions, discounts and general terms of sale, supply and payment;

(b) they respected each other's distribution channels, established by the approval of wholesalers, to whom the status of "approved buyer" was accorded,

constitued infringements of Article 85 (1) of the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community.

Article 2

The applications made to the Commission on 30 and 31 October 1962 by Vereeniging van Nederlandsche Papierfabrikanten, Haarlem, and the Association des Fabricants de Pâtes, Papiers et Cartons de Belgique, Brussels, for a declaration that Article 85 (1) was inapplicable pursuant to Article 85 (3), are rejected.

Article 3

This decision is addressed to the following undertakings and associations of undertakings: - Association des Fabricants de Pâtes, Papiers et Cartons de Belgique, Brussels, Belgium;

- Vereeniging van Nederlandsche Papierfabrikanten, Haarlem, Netherland;

- SA Papeteries de Belgique, Brussels, Belgium;

- SA Intermills, La Hulpe, Belgium;

- SA Papeteries de Virginal, Virginal, Belgium;

- Kon. Papierfabrieken Van Gelder Zonen NV, Amsterdam, Netherlands;

- Gelderland-Tielens Papierfabrieken BV, Nijmegen, Netherlands;

- NV Papierfabrieken Van Houtum & Palm, Apeldoorn, Netherlands;

- Papierfabriek Huiskamp & Sanders NV, Eerbeek, Netherlands;

- Kon. Nederlandsche Papierfabriek NV, Maastricht, Netherlands.

Done at Brussels, 8 September 1977.

For the Commission

Raymond VOUEL

Member of the Commission