Brussels, 13/11/2014 (Agence Europe) - The Court of Justice of the EU has reduced the fine imposed by the Commission in November 2007 on the American glass-maker Guardian Industries Corporation and its European division for participation in price-fixing in the flat glass sector along with Asahi Glass of Japan, Pilkington of the UK and Saint-Gobain of France (see EUROPE 9553). In its ruling on Tuesday 11 November, the Court partially annuls the 2012 General Court ruling (T-82/08) which upheld the Commission decision.
The Court took the view that the way in which the fine was calculated penalised Guardian in that it excluded domestic sales, thereby reducing the relative weight of Saint-Gobain, as a vertically integrated company, in the infringement and increasing that of Guardian, which is not vertically integrated. The Court decided to reduce the fine imposed on Guardian by 30%, from €148 million to €103.6 million. (FG)