法国竞争管理局首次就阻碍反垄断调查作出3000万欧元处罚决定

[导读：2017年12月，法国竞争管理局（Autorité de la concurrence）就德国化学品公司Brenntag违反法国商法典第464-2条阻碍反垄断调查下发了3000万欧元（约2.3亿元人民币）的处罚决定书，这是法国首例阻碍反垄断调查的处罚决定。在调查Brenntag涉嫌垄断国内商业化学品市场时，法国竞争管理局执法人员面临多重阻碍，在Brenntag多次被要求披露发票和账户记录等信息并表示拒绝后，该公司提供了不完整、不精确和过时的信息，该行为严重妨碍了执法人员对市场的调查和评估。在确定处罚金额时，法国竞争管理局既考虑了公司的规模，同时确保处罚具有防止公司从阻碍调查中获利的威慑效果。（本文源自法国竞争局官方网站。导读系本公众号原创，转载请注明文字出自本公众号。）]

The Autorité de la concurrence fines Brenntag 30 million euros

for obstructing the investigation

The Autorité today publishes a decision by which it fines the Brenntag SA (hereinafter « Brenntag ») and Brenntag AG companies for having infringed the provisions of V of article L. 464-2 of the French commercial code by hindering the investigation of a case regarding anticompetitive practices denounced by several companies (Gaches, Solvadis and Chimiphar).

These behaviours have hampered the progress of the investigation of the case, preventing it from coming to fruition: the concerned practices have not, to this day, led to a decision on the merits of the case by the Autorité. 

Obstructing an investigation is subject to a monetary penalty

When a company obstructs an investigation, by giving incomplete or incorrect information for instance, or by disclosing incomplete or defaced documents, the Autorité can, upon request from the General Rapporteur, and after having heard the company in question and the government commissioner, decide to impose a monetary penalty. Its amount can reach 1% of the company's global turnover.

A serious breach which hinders the Autorité's mission to preserve the economic public order

The investigation services of the Autorité encountered increasing difficulties to cooperate with Brenntag. First, the company provided incomplete, imprecise and out of delay information before refusing to provide information and material elements (notably invoices and account records) which it had been asked for several times. 

The Autorité considers that this behaviour is especially serious. The extent to which information was withheld by Brenntag prevented the investigation services from comprehending the market function or assessing the nature of the plaintiffs' allegations.

The amount of the fine also takes into account the size of the company and the necessity to ensure an effect dissuasive enough to prevent a company from objectively benefiting from obstructing an investigation by the Autorité. 

It is the first time that the Autorité de la concurrence has applied this provision from the French commercial code.

--------------------

微信公众号名称：“反垄断实务评论”

微信号：Antitrust_Review

我们致力于提供中国反垄断法最新资讯，包括法规速递、执法机关动态、行政执法、民事诉讼、中外反垄断法交流、学术研究等。提供案例解析、理论介绍、律师实务操作指南，以及原创反垄断法评论和文章，部分内容为中英文双语。欢迎您的关注。