First successful appeal against an EU settlement decision in a cartel case may have broader implications for the settlement process.

On 13 December 2016, the General Court of the Court of Justice of the European Union (the GC or Court) allowed Tompla’s appeal against the European Commission’s (the Commission’s) decision in the envelope cartel.1 The GC agreed with Tompla that the contested decision did not explain in sufficient detail why the Commission had applied differentiated fine reductions for the different members of the cartel. The GC consequently annulled Tompla’s €4.7 million fine.