The European Union's highest court on Thursday upheld a decision by the European Commission to fine British Airways 6.8 million euros (US$9 million) for its abusive conduct on the market.

 

The Luxembourg-based European Court of Justice agreed with the Commission's findings that the bonus schemes, including the so-called "performance reward schemes", used by British Airways to calculate travel agents' commissions constituted an abuse of dominant position in violation of EU anti-trust rules.

 

In its decision on July 14, 1999, the EU anti-trust watchdog found that British Airways had abused its dominant position on the British market for air travel agency services and accordingly fined British Airways 6.8 million euros.

 

British Airways later brought an action against the decision before the Court of First Instance, the EU's second highest court, which rejected the appeal in 2003.

 

Then the case moved on to the European Court of Justice, whose judgment was final and binding.

 

(Xinhua News Agency March 16, 2007)