Obligation for EU Institutions to Pay Default Interest on Repaid Fines: Case C-301/19 P Printeos

Abstract

In Printeos, on 21 January 2021, the Court of Justice (‘the Court’) confirmed on appeal the General Court’s ruling that the Commission, after the annulment of its Article 101 TFEU decision against Printeos by a previous final judgment of the General Court, should have also repaid default interest on the amount of the fine. The Court also upheld Printeos’ cross-appeal by awarding it compound interest from the date on which the action was brought before the General Court. In a decision of 10 December 2014 (‘the 2014 decision’), the Commission imposed on Printeos a fine of EUR 4,729,000 for its participation in a cartel from 2003 to 2008 on the market of European stock/catalogue and special printed envelopes. After having brought an action for annulment of the 2014 decision before the General Court on 20 February 2015, Printeos proceeded with the provisional payment of its fine...