94/210/EC: Commission Decision of 29 March 1994 relating to a proceeding pursuant to Articles 85 and 86 of the EC Treaty (IV/33.941 - HOV SVZ/MCN) (Only the German, French and Dutch texts are authentic)

• Articles: 6

Article 1

Deutsche Bundesbahn, Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Belges, Nederlandse Spoorwegen, Intercontainer and Transfracht Deutsche Transportgesellschaft mbH have infringed the provisions of Article 85 of the EC Treaty by concluding the maritime container network agreement of 1 April 1988 providing for the marketing, by a Bureau Commun, on the basis of tariffs agreed within the Bureau, of all carriage by rail of sea-borne containers to or from Germany via a German, Belgian or Dutch port.

Article 2

Deutsche Bundesbahn has infringed the provisions of Article 86 of the EC Treaty by using its dominant position on the rail transport market in Germany to impose discriminatory rail transport tariffs on the market for the inland carriage of sea-borne containers to or from Germany via a German, Belgian or Dutch port.

Article 3

Deutsche Bundesbahn, now Deutsche Bahn, is hereby required to put an end to the infringement referred to in Article 2.

Article 4

A fine of ECU 11 million is hereby imposed on Deutsche Bahn in respect of the infringement of the provisions of Article 86 of the EC Treaty referred to in Article 2.

Article 5

The fine imposed in Article 4 shall be paid, in ecus, within three months of the date of notification of this Decision, into bank account No 310-0933000-43 of the Commission of the European Communities, Banque Bruxelles-Lambert, Agence Européenne, Rond Point Schuman 5, B-1040 Brussels.

After the expiry of that period, interest shall be automatically payable on the fine at the rate charged by the European Monetary Cooperation Fund for transactions in ecu on the first working day of the month in which this Decision is adopted, plus 3,5 percentage points, namely 9,75 %.

Article 6

This Decision is addressed to:

- Deutsche Bahn AG,

Hauptverwaltung,

Friedrich-Ebert-Anlage 43-45,

D-60327 Frankfurt am Main;

- Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Belges,

rue de France 85,

B-1070 Brussels;

- NV Nederlandse Spoorwegen,

Hoofddirectie,

Moreelsepark,

Postbus 2025,

NL-3500 HA Utrecht;

- Transfracht,

Deutsche Transportgesellschaft mbH,

Gutleutstrasse 160-164,

D-60327 Frankfurt am Main;

- Intercontainer,

rue de France 85,

B-1070 Brussels.

This Decision shall be enforceable pursuant to Article 192 of the EC Treaty.

Done at Brussels, 29 March 1994.

For the Commission

Karel VAN MIERT

Member of the Commission

(1) OJ No L 175, 23. 7. 1968, p. 1.

(2) OJ No L 209, 21. 8. 1969, p. 11.

(3) OJ No L 237, 24. 8. 1991, p. 25.

(4) In the published version of the Decision, some information has hereinafter been omitted, pursuant to the provisions of Article 28 of Regulation (EEC) No 1017/68. (5) In particular Case 15/74 Centrafarm v. Sterling Drug, [1974] ECR, p. 1147.

(6) In particular Case 85/76 Hoffmann La Roche v. Commission, [1979] ECR, p. 461.

(7) Case 322/81, [1983] ECR, p. 3461.

(8) See in particular S. Gilman and M. Graham, The case for a conference rate making authority in the inland sector, July 1990.

(9) Case C-279/87 Tippex v. Commission [1990], ECR I, p. 261.

(10) Notably in Joined Cases 6 and 7/73 Commercial Solvents v. Commission, [1974] ECR, p. 245 and Case 22/78 Hugin v. Commission, [1979] ECR, p. 1869.

(11) See point 58.

(12) Case 66/86, [1989] ECR, p. 803.

(13) OJ No L 73, 26. 3. 1993, p. 38.

(14) OJ No C 57, 27. 2. 1993, p. 5.

(15) No figures are given for sea-borne containers, which at all events are more expensive.

(16) In particular, Case C-41/90 Klaus Hoefner and Fritz Elser v. Macrotron [1991) ECR I, p. 1979.

(17) Kombinierter Ladungsverkehr.

(18) Indagine sull'organizzazione ed i costi portuali per la movimentazione di contenitori nei principali scali Europei. Genoa 1990.

(19) See point 137.

(20) In particular Case 311/84 CBEM v.CLT and IPB ('Telemarketing') [1985] ECR, p. 3271.