Opinion of Mr Advocate General Lenz delivered on 19 April 1989

1 Original language: Gtrman.

2 In conformity with the terminology used in the contested decision, AKZO is used to designate the economic entity consisting of AKZO Chemie BV and its subsidiaries. Where the context requires a distinction between the parent company and the subsidiary, AKZO Chemie BV is designated by AKZO Chemie and AKZO Chemie UK Ltd byAKZO UK.

3 Case 5/85 AKZO Chemie BV and AKZO Chemie UK Ud v Commisiion [19861 ECR 2585; Case 53/85 AKZO Chemie BV and AKZO Chemie UK Ud v Commission [1986] ECR 1965.

4 OJ 1985 L 252, p. 13.

5 OJ 1985 L 374, p. 1.

6 Order of the President of the Court in Case 63/86 R [1986] ECR 1503.

7 The defendant summarized its views regarding the facts and the legal position in its Fifteenth Report on Competition Policy (Part 2, Chapter II, paragraph 7, p. 90 et seq.).

8 Judgment in Joined Cases 43 and 63/82 VBVB and VBBB v Commission [1984] ECR 19, at p. 59.

9 Judgment in Case 41/69 ACF Chemiefarma NV v Commission[1970] ECR 661, at p. 690.

10 Judgment in Case 41/69, loc. cit., at p. 687.

11 OJ 1986 L 230, p. 1.

12 Point of the grounds of the decision of 14 December 1985.

13 However, in academic legal writing a causal connection between the dominant position and its abuse was held to be necessary; see Everling in Wohlfahrt et al., Die Europäische Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft, Berlin/Frankfurt 1960, Article 86, point 1 et seq.; Joliét, Monopolisation et Abus de Position Dominante, RTDE 1969 p. 645, at p. 682.

14 Judgment in Case 6/72 Europe Emballage Corporation and Continental Can Co. Inc. v Commission [1973] ECR 215, at p. 246; Case 85/76 Ho/fmann-La Roche und Co. AC v Commission [1979] ECR 461, at p. 540.

15 Admittedly, in his Opinion in Case 322/81 NV Nederlandsche Banden-Industrìe Michelin v Commission [1983] ECR 3529 (p. 3461, more especially p. 3501 et seq.), Mr Advocate General VerLoren van Themaat regarded such a hypothesis as possible but in its judgment the Court did not, so far as can be seen, draw any conclusion from this general remark.

16 See on this subject Koch in Grabitz, Kommentar zumEWG-Vertrag, Art. 86, point 34.

17 Loc. cit., morc particularly p. 516 et seq.

18 Consequently, it is also unnecessary to examine the Juestion whether the applicant has a dominant position in ic organic peroxides market. However, it should be noted that here again the defendant's findings, relating to the applicant's estimates, are not wholly free from doubt and, in addition, relate solely to the period from 1979 to 1982.

19 Loc cit., at p. 515 et seq.

20 See on this point Schröter in Groeben/Boeckh/Thiesing/ Ehlermann, Kommentar zum EWG-Vertrag, 3rd Edition, Baden-Baden 1983, Article 86, point 31, with further references.

21 AKZO 34%, ECS 53% and Diaflex 13% of the tonnage sold in 1982.

22 See the judgment in Case 85/76, loc. cit., at p. 520.

23 E.g. suppliers with only one product.

24 However, this does not indicate any view regarding which method of calculation is the correct one. Precisely when the normal pnce is in dispute, calculation by volume would appear to be the more correa method. However, the various products would then have to be brought into a certain relationship to each other according to value.

25 Perhaps the sequence of letters Sippl. should be read as an abbreviation for Spillers. However, there is no statement from the defendant to this effect.

26 See, at this point, Schröter, op. cit., Note 22.

27 See the judgment in Case 85/76, loc. cit., at p. 520; judgment in Case 322/81, loc. cit., at p. 3503.

28 Judgments in Joined Cases 6 and 7/73 htituto Chemioterapico Italiano SpA and Commercial Solvents Corporation v Commiuion [1974] ECR 223, at p. 252.

29 See also the judgment in Case 311/84 SA Centre Belge d'Eludei de Marcbé-Télémarketing (CBEU) v SA Compagnie Luxembourgeoise de Télédiffusion (CLT) and SA information Publicité Benelux (IPB) [1985] ECR 3261, at p. 3278.

30 Loc. cit., at p. 246.

31 Sec Schröter, op. cit., point 45(a).

32 See the judgment in Case 85/76, above at p. 540.

33 In the judgment in Case 27/76 United Brands Company and United Brands Continental BV v Commission (1978) ECR 207, it p. 299.

34 See the judgment in Case 7/72 Böhringer Mannheim GmbH v Commission [1972) ECR 1281, at p. 1290.

35 Istituto Chemioterapico Italiano SpA and Commercial Solvents Corporation v Commission [1974] ECR 223, at p. 258 et seq.

36 Loc. cit., al p. 257.