The EU was wrong in the dispute over rebates. The court awarded it to Intel

The Court of Justice of the European Union has upheld its decision to annul the fine imposed on Intel approximately 15 years ago. Thus, the appeal of the European Commission, which represented 27 Community countries, was lost. As indicated by the CJEU, all grounds for appeal raised by the EC were rejected. Intel has reason to celebrate because the company will have a fine of over one billion euros canceled.

Intel satisfied with the verdict

According to ABC News, citing the Associated Press, Intel is satisfied with the verdict. This is hardly surprising, because this one The case, which had been dragging on for years, did not promise such a happy ending for the Blues. It all started in 2009, when the Commission decided to impose a fine on an American company. The reason was the alleged use of illegal sales tactics to eliminate a rival in the form of AMD.

What were the grounds for this decision? The Commission believed that Intel was abusing its dominant position in the global x86 microprocessor market through a strategy of excluding rivals through rebates. For years, the topic was rather quiet until the Blues’ unexpected victory in 2022, when the EU General Court overturned this penalty. Now this twist has been sealed in the form of the CJEU’s support for this decision. But Intel can gain even more.

The American manufacturer is also fighting against another fine granted by the European Union authorities. The stake here is almost EUR 380 million. This was the penalty for some restrictions on Intel’s sales. Similarly to the previous case In this case, the EU General Court has already found this decision unlawful also in 2022. However, the case is still waiting for a final decision.