French beef federations fined for suspending imports
They were charged with setting a minimum purchase price for certain categories of beef, and suspending beef imports into France in 2001.
In 2003, the European Commission imposed fines totalling €16.68m.
The Court of First Instance has reduced the fine to €11.97m.
The federations maintained their action did not infringe competition rules.
However, the Court of First Instance has ruled their action appreciably affected trade between Member States and constituted a restriction of competition.
COPA, the Committee of Professional Agricultural Organisations in the EU, on behalf of farmer groups throughout the Union, expressed solidarity with the French National Farmers’ Union, the French Young Farmers and the French professional organisations of the dairy and beef sectors, and supported the French National Farmers’ Union’s request to implement a European legislation specifying the right of producers to defend their interests.
But the European Commission warned agricultural federations may infringe competition rules when they enter into business.
lThe French government has also run into agriculture-related trouble. The European Commission has asked the Court of Justice to fine them €38 million for not adopting an EU directive on the deliberate release of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) into the environment.
