COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES Brussels, COMMISSION DECISION Of [1 October 2008] relating to a proceeding under Article 81 of the EC Treaty and Article 53 of the EEA Agreement Case COMP/39181 – Candle Waxes (Only the English, French, German, Italian and Spanish texts are authentic) (Text with EEA relevance) to be notified to: ENI S.p.A. Esso Deutschland GmbH, Esso Société Anonyme Française, ExxonMobil Petroleum and Chemical B.V.B.A. and Exxon Mobil Corporation H&R ChemPharm GmbH, H&R Wax Company Vertrieb GmbH and Hansen & Rosenthal KG Tudapetrol Mineralölerzeugnisse Nils Hansen KG MOL Nyrt. Repsol YPF Lubricantes y Especialidades S.A., Repsol Petróleo S.A. and Repsol YPF S.A. Sasol Wax GmbH, Sasol Wax International AG, Sasol Holding in Germany GmbH and Sasol Limited Shell Deutschland Oil GmbH, Shell Deutschland Schmierstoff GmbH, Deutsche Shell GmbH, Shell International Petroleum Company Limited, the Shell Petroleum Company Limited, Shell Petroleum N.V., and the Shell Transport and Trading Company Limited RWE-Dea AG and RWE AG Total France S.A. and Total S.A Parts of this text have been edited to ensure that confidential information is not disclosed; those parts are enclosed in square brackets […]. 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction................................................................................................................ 7 1.1. Addressees ......................................................................................................................... 7 1.2. Summary of the infringement.............................................................................................. 7 2. The Industry Subject to the Present Proceedings......................................................... 8 2.1. The Products...................................................................................................................... 8 2.2. […].................................................................................................................................... 8 2.3. Undertakings Subject to the Present Proceedings................................................................ 8 2.3.1. The ENI group (ENI S.p.A.) .......................................................................................... 8 2.3.2. The ExxonMobil group (Esso Deutschland GmbH, Esso Société Anonyme Française, ExxonMobil Petroleum and Chemical B.V.B.A, Exxon Mobil Corporation).................... 9 2.3.3. The Hansen & Rosenthal/Tudapetrol group (Tudapetrol Mineralölerzeugnisse Nils Hansen KG, H&R ChemPharm GmbH, H&R Wax Company Vertrieb GmbH, Hansen & Rosenthal KG).............................................................................................................. 10 2.3.4. The MOL group (MOL Nyrt.)...................................................................................... 11 2.3.5. The Repsol group (Repsol YPF Lubricantes y Especialidades S.A., Repsol Petróleo S.A., Repsol YPF S.A.)......................................................................................................... 12 2.3.6. The Sasol group (Sasol Wax GmbH, Sasol Wax International AG, Sasol Holding in Germany GmbH, Sasol Limited) ................................................................................... 13 2.3.7. The Shell group (Shell Deutschland Schmierstoff GmbH, Shell Deutschland Oil GmbH, Deutsche Shell GmbH, Shell International Petroleum Company Limited (SIPC), the Shell Petroleum Company Limited (SPCO), Shell Petroleum N.V, the Shell Transport and Trading Company Limited)........................................................................................... 14 2.3.8. The RWE group ........................................................................................................... 16 2.3.9. The Total group (Total France S.A., Total S.A.) .......................................................... 16 2.4. Other Market Players ....................................................................................................... 17 2.5. Description of the Market................................................................................................. 17 2.5.1. Supply.......................................................................................................................... 17 2.5.2. Demand........................................................................................................................ 18 2.5.3. Trade between Member States...................................................................................... 18 3. Procedure................................................................................................................. 18 3.1. The Commission's Investigation........................................................................................ 18 3.2. Statement of Objections and Oral Hearing ........................................................................ 19 4. Description of the Events.......................................................................................... 21 4.1. The Basic Principles and Functioning of the Cartel............................................................ 21 4.2. Details on the Technical Meetings .................................................................................... 25 5. Application of Article 81 of the Treaty and Article 53 of the EEA Agreement to the Present Case............................................................................................................. 58 5.1. Applicability of the Treaty and the EEA Agreement.......................................................... 58 5.2. Jurisdiction....................................................................................................................... 61 5.3. The Nature of the Infringement in the Present Case .......................................................... 61 5.3.1. Principles...................................................................................................................... 61 5.3.2. Application................................................................................................................... 64 5.4. Single and Continuous Infringement ................................................................................. 76 5.4.1. Principles...................................................................................................................... 76 5.4.2. Application................................................................................................................... 79 5.4.3. The Case of ENI........................................................................................................... 85 5.5. Implementation................................................................................................................. 86 3 5.6. Restriction of Competition................................................................................................ 87 5.7. Effect upon Trade between Member States and between EEA Contracting Parties............ 88 5.8. Application of Article 81(3) of the Treaty and Article 53(3) of the EEA Agreement.......... 89 5.9. Economic Arguments ....................................................................................................... 90 5.10. Conclusion on the Application of Article 81 of the Treaty and Article 53 of the EEA Agreement........................................................................................................................ 92 6. Addressees of the Present Decision........................................................................... 93 6.1. Principles Concerning Addressees..................................................................................... 93 6.2. Application....................................................................................................................... 97 6.2.1. The ENI group ............................................................................................................. 97 6.2.2. The ExxonMobil group................................................................................................. 98 6.2.3. The Hansen & Rosenthal/Tudapetrol group ................................................................ 103 6.2.4. The MOL group ......................................................................................................... 104 6.2.5. The Repsol group....................................................................................................... 110 6.2.6. The Sasol Group ........................................................................................................ 115 6.2.7. The Shell group.......................................................................................................... 121 6.2.8. The RWE group ......................................................................................................... 126 6.2.9. The Total group ......................................................................................................... 131 6.3. Conclusion on Addressees .............................................................................................. 137 7. Duration of the Infringement and Limitation Periods............................................... 138 7.1. Starting Date for Each Undertaking................................................................................ 138 7.2. End Date for Each Undertaking...................................................................................... 139 7.3. Conclusion on the Duration of the Infringement