170In that regard, it has consistently been held that Article 82 EC is an application of the general objective of European Community action, namely the institution of a system ensuring that competition in the common market is not distorted. Thus, the dominant position referred to in Article 82 EC relates to a position of economic strength enjoyed by an undertaking which enables it to prevent effective competition being maintained on the relevant market by affording it the power to behave to an appreciable extent independently of its competitors, its customers and ultimately of consumers (see Case 85/76 Hoffmann-La Roche v Commission [1979] ECR 461, paragraph 38, and Case C-202/07 P France Télécom v Commission [2009] ECR I-2369, paragraph 103).
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