Powszechny Zaklad Ubezpieczen na Zycie (Judgment) French Text [2019] EUECJ C-617/17 (03 April 2019)

Powszechny Zaklad Ubezpieczen na Zycie (Judgment) French Text [2019] EUECJ C-617/17 (03 April 2019)

The ne bis in idem principle under Article 50 of the Charter does not preclude a national competition authority from imposing, in a single decision, both a fine for breach of national competition law and a fine for breach of Article 82 EC, provided the total sanctions are proportionate to the nature of the...

Source-derived case information.

Citation
[2019] EUECJ C-617/17
Parties
Applicant: Powszechny Zakład Ubezpieczeń na Życie S.A.; Respondent: Prezes Urzędu Ochrony Konkurencji i Konsumentów
Jurisdiction
European Union
Procedural Posture
Preliminary Ruling (renvoi Préjudiciel) / Judgment on Reference From Sąd Najwyższy (poland)
Outcome
Reference answered; ne bis in idem does not preclude parallel fines in a single decision, subject to proportionality.
Legal Topics
Abuse of Dominant Position, Ne Bis in Idem, Parallel Application of EU and National Competition Law, Proportionality of Sanctions
Competition Law European Union Law Fundamental Rights Abuse of Dominant Position Ne Bis in Idem Parallel Application of EU and National Competition Law Proportionality of Sanctions

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Parties

Powszechny Zakład Ubezpieczeń na Życie S.A.

Applicant

Prezes Urzędu Ochrony Konkurencji i Konsumentów

Respondent

Procedural Posture

Preliminary Ruling (renvoi Préjudiciel) / Judgment on Reference From Sąd Najwyższy (poland)

  1. 1 Does the ne bis in idem principle under Article 50 of the Charter preclude a national competition authority from imposing, in a single decision, both a fine for breach of national competition law and a fine for breach of Article 82 EC (now Article 102 TFEU)?
  2. 2 Do EU and national competition law protect the same legal interest for the purposes of ne bis in idem?

Ratio Decidendi

The ne bis in idem principle under Article 50 of the Charter does not preclude a national competition authority from imposing, in a single decision, both a fine for breach of national competition law and a fine for breach of Article 82 EC, provided the total sanctions are proportionate to the nature of the infringement. This is because ne bis in idem only prevents repeat prosecution or punishment after a final decision, which is not the case when both sanctions are imposed simultaneously in one procedure.

Court Disposition

Reference answered; ne bis in idem does not preclude parallel fines in a single decision, subject to proportionality.

Orders

  • The ne bis in idem principle in Article 50 of the Charter does not preclude a national competition authority from imposing, in a single decision, a fine for breach of national competition law and a fine for breach of Article 82 EC, provided the combined fines are proportionate.