Gleiss Lutz has obtained injunctive relief on behalf of Evonik Degussa in ongoing proceedings before the General Court concerning the European Commission’s plans to publish additional information from Evonik Degussa's leniency application. The Court’s decision has thus created a precedent with significance for all cartel cases involving leniency applicants.
In the main proceedings (case T-341/12), Evonik Degussa is contesting the Commission’s plans to publish additional detailed information on the hydrogen peroxide cartel stemming from leniency documents several years after the publication of a non-confidential version of the Commission’s decision in this case. Evonik Degussa is of the opinion that information stemming from leniency submissions is, by its very nature, covered by professional secrecy, and that its publication would violate Evonik Degussa’s legitimate expectations as to the confidentiality of the information voluntarily submitted as part of its immunity application and subsequent leniency submissions.
In its order, the General Court followed the applicant’s reasoning according to which the publication of potentially confidential information prior to the Court’s judgment in the main proceedings could render meaningless the applicant’s fundamental right to protection of professional secrecy. This would jeopardise its fundamental right to an effective legal remedy. The Court therefore confirms the urgency of granting of the requested interim measures to avoid serious and irreparable damage to Evonik Degussa’s fundamental rights. The order thus recognizes the importance of effective interim relief for the effective protection of fundamental rights and strengthens the position of interim relief in EU procedural law. The implications of this order will thus go far beyond the case at hand.
Evonik Degussa is being represented in the proceedings before the General Court by Gleiss Lutz attorneys Dr. Christian Steinle (partner, Stuttgart), Christian v. Köckritz (Brussels) and Dr. Moritz Holm-Hadulla (Stuttgart, all competition/antitrust).
In seinem Beschluss folgt das Gericht der Argumentation von Evonik Degussa: Eine Veröffentlichung möglicherweise vertraulicher Informationen vor einer endgültigen Entscheidung in der Hauptsache könnte das Grundrecht der Antragstellerin auf Schutz des Berufsgeheimnisses aushöhlen. Das Grundrecht auf einen effektiven Rechtsbehelf würde damit unwiederbringlich beeinträchtigt werden. Das Gericht hält den Erlass der beantragten einstweiligen Anordnung zur Vermeidung von möglichen schweren und irreparablen Schäden in den Grundrechtspositionen von Evonik Degussa daher für dringend geboten. Damit hat das Gericht die grundrechtliche Dimension des einstweiligen Rechtsschutzes anerkannt und dessen Bedeutung im Unionsrecht aufgewertet. Die Tragweite des im vorliegenden Fall erwirkten Beschlusses des Gerichts geht damit weit über den Einzelfall hinaus.
Evonik Degussa wird vor dem Gericht der Europäischen Union von den Gleiss Lutz-Anwälten Dr. Christian Steinle (Partner, Stuttgart), Christian v. Köckritz (Brüssel) und Dr. Moritz Holm-Hadulla (Stuttgart, alle Kartellrecht) vertreten.
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