In his Opinion delivered today, Advocate General Melchior Wathelet states first of all that with regard to penalties the Court of Justice has special competence: that of unlimited jurisdiction. That enables it, particularly in the field of competition law, not only to cancel or confirm a fine and its amount but also to increase or reduce it. Accordingly, that jurisdiction empowers the Courts, in addition to carrying out a mere review of the lawfulness of the penalty, to substitute their own appraisal for the Commission’s.
Dans ses conclusions présentées ce jour, l’avocat général, M. Melchior Wathelet, rappelle à titre liminaire qu’en matière de sanctions, la Cour de justice détient une compétence particulière : celle de la pleine juridiction. Celle-ci lui permet, notamment en matière de droit de la concurrence, non seulement d’annuler ou de confirmer une amende et son montant mais également d’augmenter ou de diminuer celui-ci.