ECJ dismisses Akzo Nobel appeal

The European Court of Justice has dismissed an appeal by Akzo Nobel of a 2007 judgement by the Court of First Instance. The fine was originally imposed by the European Commission in 2004 for cartel activities related to the sale of Chlorine Chloride, a feed additive. Subsequently the matter went on appeal to the Court of First Instance and then the European Court of Justice, and both courts have affirmed the findings of the Commission. The case is important since it established that a parent company can be held liable for anti-competitive behaviour of its subsidiaries even if did not itself participate in those activities. For more on the case and a press release by the European Commission welcoming the decision of the ECJ, visit: http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/09/385&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en