No L 12/24 Official Journal of the European Communities 18. 1. 92 (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 16 December 1991 relating to a proceeding under Article 85 of the EEC Treaty (IV/33.242 — Yves Saint Laurent Parfums) (Only the French text is authentic) (92/33/EEC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, Having regard to Council Regulation No 17 of 6 Febraury 1962, First Regulation implementing Articles 85 and 86 of the Treaty (*), as last amended by the Act of Accession of Spain and Portugal, and in particular Articles 6 and 8 thereof, Having regard to the application for negative clearance or, alternatively, exemption submitted by Yves Saint Laurent Parfums SA on 6 July 1989 in respect of the standard- form selective ‘distribution contracts which the company has drawn up for the retail sale of its products in the European Economic Community, Having regard to the summary of the notification published pursuant to Article 19 (3) of Regulation No 17y, Having consulted the Advisory Committee on Restrictive Practices and Dominant Positions, Whereas : I. THE FACTS A. The undertakings Yves Saint Laurent Parfums SA, Neuilly-sur-Seine (France), is wholly owned by Yves Saint Laurent SA, () OJ No 13, 21. 2. 1962, p. 204/62. () OJ No C 320, 20. 12. 1990, p. 11. whose activities include the manufacture and marketing of luxury cosmetic products (perfumery, skin care and beauty products), through Yves Saint Laurent Parfums, and haute couture and high-quality ready-to-wear clothing, through Yves Saint Laurent Couture. Yves Saint Laurent SA is, in its turn, wholly owned by Groupe Yves Saint Laurent, a partnership limited by shares. The net turnover of Groupe Yves Saint Laurent in 1988 was FF 2 633 million, of which FF 2 261 million derived from the sale of cosmetic products. The retail sale of Yves Saint Laurent Parfums cosmetic products in the Member States is carried out by a network of authorized retailers, whose contractual conditions are laid down in the agreements to which this proceeding relates. B. Distribution structure and position of Yves Saint Laurent Parfums on the market Cosmetic products cover a wide variety of articles intended for many different uses and include in particular perfumery, skin care and beauty products and hair-care and toiletry products. A study carried out for the Commission (°) confirms that, within the overall category of cosmetic products, luxury products constitute a specific (%) ‘Les systémes de distribution sélective dans la Communauté du point de vue de la politique de la concurrence : le cas de I'industrie des parfums et des produits cosmétiques’, André- Paul Weber 1988.