Home / Issues / European Commission exclusivity-payments decision against Qualcomm, annulled by the General Court
European Commission exclusivity-payments decision against Qualcomm, annulled by the General Court
Decidedas of 31 Oct 2026European Union / EEAQualcomm Inc.draft
Current status
Confirmed fact · as of 15 Jun 2022
The General Court annulled the Commission's 2018 decision and the EUR 997 million fine in their entirety on 15 June 2022; the decision therefore has no legal effect.
A General Court of the European Union, Judgment in Case T-235/18, Qualcomm v Commission (Qualcomm - Exclusivity Payments) (Press release No 101/22) (15 Jun 2022) · retrieved 31 Oct 2026
Confirmed fact · as of 31 Oct 2026
The outcome is an annulment of the Commission's decision on grounds of procedural irregularities and an inadequate effects analysis; it is not a judicial finding that Qualcomm broke competition law, and it is not a criminal matter.
A General Court of the European Union, Judgment in Case T-235/18, Qualcomm v Commission (Qualcomm - Exclusivity Payments) (Press release No 101/22) (15 Jun 2022) · retrieved 31 Oct 2026
Unanswered question · as of 31 Oct 2026
No primary record confirming or denying that the Commission lodged an appeal has been located; the non-appeal is supported only by a contemporaneous Reuters report citing unnamed sources, and the Commission declined to comment at the time.
C Insurance Journal (Reuters report), EU Antitrust Regulators Won't Appeal Court Ruling Scrapping Qualcomm Fine, Sources Say (29 Aug 2022) · retrieved 31 Oct 2026
Last reviewed 31 Oct 2026. An initial allegation is not the final event; this block is always shown.
How it unfolded
Issue raised · 24 Jan 2018
Proposition: The European Commission decided that Qualcomm had abused its dominant position in the market for LTE baseband chipsets by making large payments to a key customer (Apple) on condition that it would not buy chipsets from rivals, thereby foreclosing competitors, and imposed a fine of EUR 997 million.
Affected parties: Qualcomm Inc., European Commission, Competing chipset suppliers
Originating record: A European Commission, Antitrust: Commission fines Qualcomm EUR 997 million for abuse of dominant market position (Press release IP/18/421) (24 Jan 2018) · retrieved 31 Oct 2026
Response · Qualcomm Inc. · 24 Jan 2018
Attributed claim · as of 15 Jun 2022
Qualcomm contested the Commission's decision and brought an action for annulment before the General Court, challenging both the procedure and the Commission's analysis of anticompetitive effects. The General Court upheld Qualcomm's challenge and annulled the decision in full. — Qualcomm Inc.
A General Court of the European Union, Judgment in Case T-235/18, Qualcomm v Commission (Qualcomm - Exclusivity Payments) (Press release No 101/22) (15 Jun 2022) · retrieved 31 Oct 2026
Outcome · General Court of the European Union (annulling the European Commission's 2018 decision) · 15 Jun 2022
judgmentbinding
Confirmed fact · as of 15 Jun 2022
On 24 January 2018 the European Commission decided that Qualcomm had abused a dominant position through exclusivity payments and imposed a fine of EUR 997 million. On 15 June 2022 the General Court (Case T-235/18) annulled that decision in its entirety. The Court found a number of procedural irregularities that affected Qualcomm's rights of defence and held that the Commission's analysis of the anticompetitive effects of the payments did not take account of all the relevant factual circumstances. Because the whole decision was annulled, the EUR 997 million fine fell with it. This outcome is an annulment of the Commission's decision; it is not a finding against Qualcomm, and the matter was an administrative competition proceeding, not a criminal one.
A European Commission, Antitrust: Commission fines Qualcomm EUR 997 million for abuse of dominant market position (Press release IP/18/421) (24 Jan 2018) · retrieved 31 Oct 2026 · A General Court of the European Union, Judgment in Case T-235/18, Qualcomm v Commission (Qualcomm - Exclusivity Payments) (Press release No 101/22) (15 Jun 2022) · retrieved 31 Oct 2026
Remedy: None against Qualcomm. The Commission's decision, including the EUR 997 million fine, was annulled in its entirety.
Appeal/review: concluded — A further appeal on points of law to the Court of Justice was available within two months and ten days of notification. The European Commission was reported (Reuters, 29 August 2022) to have decided not to appeal; no Court of Justice appeal judgment in this matter has been identified, and the General Court's annulment stands. C Insurance Journal (Reuters report), EU Antitrust Regulators Won't Appeal Court Ruling Scrapping Qualcomm Fine, Sources Say (29 Aug 2022) · retrieved 31 Oct 2026
How to read this. Allegation, response and outcome are separate, dated records. "Decided/resolved" appears only where a cited outcome supports it. Materially affected parties can request a correction via Corrections & response.