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CJEU - T 471/13 / Judgment

Xellia Pharmaceuticals ApS and Alpharma, LLC, formerly Zoetis Products LLC v European Commission
Policy area
Public Health
Deciding body type
Court of Justice of the European Union
Deciding body
General Court (Ninth Chamber)
Type
Decision
Decision date
08/09/2016
ECLI (European case law identifier)
ECLI:EU:T:2016:460

Carta drepturilor fundamentale a Uniunii Europene

Title VI: Justice

Article 48 - Presumption of innocence and right of defence

VIEW FULL CASE
  • CJEU - T 471/13 / Judgment

    Key facts of the case:

    APPLICATION for annulment in part of Commission Decision C(2013) 3803 final of 19 June 2013 relating to a proceeding under Article 101 [TFEU] and Article 53 of the EEA Agreement (Case AT.39226 — Lundbeck) and for reduction of the amount of the fine imposed on the applicants by that decision.

    Competition — Agreements, decisions and concerted practices — Market for antidepressant medicinal products containing the active pharmaceutical ingredient citalopram — Concept of restriction of competition ‘by object’ — Potential competition — Generic medicinal products — Barriers to market entry resulting from the existence of patents — Agreement concluded between a patent holder and a generic undertaking — Duration of the Commission’s investigation - Rights of the defence — Fines — Legal certainty — Principle that penalties must have a proper legal basis)

    Results (sanctions) and key consequences of the case:

    ...the General Court (Ninth Chamber) hereby:
    1. Dismisses the action;
    2. Orders Xellia Pharmaceuticals ApS and Alpharma LLC to pay the costs.

  • Paragraphs referring to EU Charter

     

    68. It is necessary to take into account the principle of the presumption of innocence resulting in particular from Article 48 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. Given the nature of the infringements in question and the nature and degree of severity of the penalties which may ensue, the presumption of innocence applies, inter alia, to the procedures relating to infringements of the competition rules applicable to undertakings that may result in the imposition of fines or periodic penalty payments (see, to that effect, judgment in CISAC v Commission, cited in paragraph 66 above, EU:T:2013:188, paragraph 93 and the case-law cited).