No L 20/6 Official Journal of the European Communities 28.1.93 COMMISSION DECISION of 17 December 1992 imposing a fine pursuant to Article 19 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 4056/86 (IV/32.447) (Only the French text is authentic) (93/47/EEC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European- Economic Community, Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 4056/86 of 22 December 1986 laying down detailed rules for the application of Articles 85 and 86 of the Treaty to maritime transport (), and in particular " Articles 18 and 19 thereof, Whereas: (M) I. THE FACTS Mediterranean Europe West Africa Conference (Mewac) is a liner conference whose secretariat is at the following address: 33, rue Jean-Frangois Leca, F-13002 Marseilles, France. Mewac is a group of shipping companies which provide a liner service between Spain, the Mediterranean coast of France, Italy and the former Yugoslavia, on the one hand, and the coast of West Africa, from the northern border of Mauritania to the southern frontier of Angola, on the other. The companies are: Members: — Black Star Line (BSL), — Cameroon Shipping Lines (Camship), — Compagnie Béninoise de Navigation Maritime (Cobenam), — Compagnie Maritime Zairoise (CMZ), — Compagnie  Sénégalaise de  Navigation Maritime (Cosenam), — Garcia Minaur SA, — Ignazio Messina, — Linea Transmare SpA, — Lloyd Triestino, — Mac Lines SA, () OJ No L 378, 31. 12. 1986, p. 4. @ 3) — Maurel et Prom, — Nigerbras Shipping Line Ltd, -— Nigeria America Line (NAL), — Nigerian National Shipping Line Ltd (NNSL), — Société Ivoirienne de Transports Maritimes (Sitram), — Société Ivoirienne de Navigation Maritime (Sivomar), — Navale Delmas, — Société Togolaise de Navigation Maritime (Sotonam), — Splosna Plovba Piran (SPP); Associate members: — Acoa Lines, — Setramar. In 1987, the Commission received a number of complaints pursuant to Article 10 of Regulation (EEC) No 4056/86 concerning maritime trade between Europe and West and Central Africa, including that falling within the geographical area covered by the activities of Mewac. After carrying out an initial examination of the complaints, the Commission considered that, should the alleged facts set out in the complaints prove to be true, they could: — be incompatible with Article 85 (3) of the EEC Treaty and so prompt the Commission to withdraw the block exemption provided for in Regulation (EEC) No 4056/86 from the liner conference in the sphere of activities in which the facts had been established, -— constitute an infringement of Article 86 of the EEC Treaty. In order for it to be able to identify and obtain additional information and any evidence, the Commission considered that an investigation should be carried out at Mewac.