Exchange of information

Anticompetitive practices

 The EU Commission sends Statement of Objections to two banks over collusion in the market for trading Euro-denominated bonds (Deutsche Bank / Rabobank)
European Commission - DG COMP (Brussels)
Belgium 1229 contributions 2520414 visits
Antitrust: Commission sends Statement of Objections to Deutsche Bank and Rabobank over Euro-denominated bonds trading cartel case* The European Commission has informed Deutsche Bank and Rabobank of its preliminary view that they breached EU antitrust rules by colluding to distort competition (...)

The EU Commission fines 5 styrene purchasers €157M for price fixing and exchanging sensitive commercial information (Sunpor / Synbra / Synthomer / Synthos / Trinseo / INEOS)
European Commission - DG COMP (Brussels)
Belgium 1229 contributions 2520414 visits
Antitrust: Commission fines styrene purchasers €157 million in cartel settlement* The European Commission has fined Sunpor, Synbra, Synthomer, Synthos and Trinseo a total of €157 million for participating in a cartel concerning purchases on the styrene monomer merchant market. INEOS was not (...)

The Australian Competition Authority receives court-enforceable remedies from a turf breeder to address concerted practices concerns (Lawn Solutions Australia Group)
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (Canberra)
Australia 352 contributions 74428 visits
Turf breeder to address concerted practices concerns* Turf breeder Lawn Solutions Australia Group Pty Ltd (LSA) has provided a court-enforceable undertaking to address ACCC concerns that LSA may have engaged in a concerted practice by communicating with turf growers and resellers about the (...)

The Brazilian Competition Authority fines 3 companies and 13 individuals for a cartel in the sodium silicate market (Manchester Química / Unaprosil / Perquímia)
Brazilian Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE) (Brasilia)
Brazil 26 contributions 11090 visits
CADE fines over 60 million reais for a cartel in the sodium silicate market* The authority fined companies and individuals for the anticompetitive conduct In the hearing of 9 November, the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE) convicted the companies Manchester Química, Unaprosil, (...)

The Spanish Competition Authority cooperates with the Portuguese Competition Authority to investigate several wood chip suppliers over a potential information sharing cartel
Spanish Competition Authority (CNMC) (Madrid)
Spain 114 contributions 25907 visits
The CNMC and the Portuguese competition authority (AdC) investigate several wood chip suppliers.* Competing companies allegedly shared the market in Spain and Portugal and exchanged sensitive information. These practices are prohibited by Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the (...)

The Polish Competition Authority fines 16 basketball clubs and the basketball league for conspiring to reduce player wages due to COVID-19-related match cancellations (BM Slam Stal / Gdyński Klub / Gliwickie /...) Free
Polish Competition Authority (Warsaw)
Poland 102 contributions 18279 visits
Basketball clubs violated competition - decision of President of UOKiK* The joint arrangements of the basketball clubs to terminate their cooperation with the players represented an agreement restricting competition. The UOKiK President Tomasz Chróstny imposed nearly PLN 1 million in penalties (...)

The Portuguese Competition Authority cooperates with their Spanish counterpart to conduct dawn raids as part of an investigation into a potential wood chip cartel
Portuguese Competition Authority (Lisbon)
Portugal 106 contributions 25993 visites
Portuguese and Spanish Competition Authorities conduct unannounced inspections* The Portuguese Competition Authority (AdC) and the Spanish CNMC carried out simultaneous unannounced inspections in Spanish territory, at an intermediary company active in the wood chip business. Both authorities (...)

The EU Commission adopts Guidelines on collective agreements by solo self-employed people
European Commission - DG COMP (Brussels)
Belgium 1229 contributions 2520414 visits
Antitrust: Commission adopts Guidelines on collective agreements by solo self-employed people* The European Commission has adopted today its Guidelines on the application of EU competition law to collective agreements (‘Guidelines’) regarding the working conditions of solo self-employed people. (...)

The Brazilian Competition Authority fines six firms and 35 individuals for anticompetitively exchanging information on hiring practices in the healthcare industry
Brazilian Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE) (Brasilia)
Brazil 26 contributions 11090 visits
CADE signs agreements in case in the market of hired labour in healthcare industry* A total of six firms and 35 individuals are to pay more than BRL 34 million in financial contributions The Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE) signed six Cease and Desist Agreements with firms (...)

The Austrian Competition Authority fines a construction cartel €26.33 million for illegal price fixing, market divisions and the exchange of information with competitors for construction tenders (HABAU Group)
Austrian Competition Authority (Vienna)
Austria 41 contributions 4380 visits
Construction cartel: HABAU fine set at EUR 26.33 million* Four companies from the HABAU group of companies have admitted participating in the construction cartel and fully acknowledged the infringement. The Austrian Federal Competition Authority (AFCA) and the Federal Cartel Prosecutor had (...)

The Austrian Competition Authority applies to fine the first company in its investigation of the facade construction industry for price fixing, market sharing, and exchange of competitively sensitive information (NFS Bau)
Austrian Competition Authority (Vienna)
Austria 41 contributions 4380 visits
Facade construction: AFCA files application to have first company fined* In the course of its investigations into the facade construction industry, the Austrian Federal Competition Authority (AFCA) filed its first application with the Cartel Court on 25 August 2022 to fine one of the (...)

The Norwegian Competition Authority closes investigation against an industry association for possible exchange of market sensitive information
Norwegian Competition Authority (Bergen)
Norway 29 contributions 3299 visits
Closes investigation against industry association* The Norwegian Competition Authority has been investigating an industry association for possible anticompetitive behaviour since 2020. After an overall assessment of the available facts, the Authority has now decided to close the investigation. (...)

The Turkish Competition Authority refuses to grant negative clearance to sharing of market information amongst ceramic sanitary ware manufacturers and ceramic tile manufacturers (Ceramic Sanitary Ware Manufacturers Association / Ceramic Tile Manufacturers Association)
Turkish Competition Authority (Ankara)
Turkey 20 contributions 2288 visits
The Board Decision concerning the request that a negative clearance/exemption be granted to the collection and sharing of certain information about the activities of Ceramic Sanitary Ware Manufacturers Association and Ceramic Tile Manufacturers (20.08.2020) (23.8.2022)* As a result of the (...)

The Latvian Competition Authority fines three construction companies for an anticompetitive bid rigging cartel, with two fines reduced for cooperating with the Authority (PK Serviss / Koro Būve / Tavs Laikmets)
Latvian Competition Council (Riga)
Lettonie 115 contributions 21918 visites
The Competition Council fines three construction companies for prohibited agreements in procurement organized by a private contracting entity* On August 4, the Competition Council of Latvia (the CC) adopted a decision, detecting a prohibited agreement between three construction companies on (...)

The Austrian Competition Authority applies to the Cartel Court to review its ruling on a recent construction cartel following new evidence which may vitiate the award of leniency (STRABAG)
Austrian Competition Authority (Vienna)
Austria 41 contributions 4380 visits
Construction cartel: AFCA applies for review of STRABAG decision by Cartel Court* By decision of 21.10.2021 (27 Kt 12/21y), the Cartel Court imposed a fine of EUR 45.37 million on two companies of the STRABAG Group (STRABAG) for infringement of section 1 (1) of the Austrian Cartel Act (KartG) (...)

The US DOJ files a lawsuit alleging that the tournament system of determining the pay for poultry processors constitutes an abusive exchange of information (Cargill / Jonathan Meng / Sanderson Farms / Wayne Farms)
US Department of Justice (Washington DC)
United States 145 contributions 57769 visits
Justice Department Files Lawsuit and Proposed Consent Decrees to End Long-Running Conspiracy to Suppress Worker Pay at Poultry Processing Plants and Address Deceptive Abuses Against Poultry Growers* Decree Provisions Would Stop the Exchange of Compensation Information, Ban President of Data (...)

The EU Commission sends a Statement of Objections to two ethanol producers over alleged benchmarking cartel (Alcogroup / Agroetanol)
European Commission - DG COMP (Brussels)
Belgium 1229 contributions 2520414 visits
Antitrust: Commission sends Statement of Objections to Alcogroup and Agroetanol over alleged ethanol benchmarks cartel* The European Commission has informed Alcogroup S.A. and its subsidiary Alcodis S.A. (together ‘Alcogroup’) as well as Lantmännen ek för and its subsidiary Lantmännen Agroetanol (...)

The Spanish Competition Authority fines construction companies €203.6M for altering the competitive process in infrastructure construction tenders for more than 25 years (Acciona Construcción / Dragados / FCC Construcción / Ferrovial Construcción / Obrascón Huarte Lain / Sacyr Construcción)
Spanish Competition Authority (CNMC) (Madrid)
Spain 114 contributions 25907 visits
The CNMC has fined 6 of the main construction companies in Spain 203.6 million euros for altering the competitive process in infrastructure construction tenders for more than 25 years The sanctioned companies are: Acciona Construcción S.A., Dragados S.A., FCC Construcción, Ferrovial Construcción, (...)

The EU Commission accepts commitments by a professional association of Irish insurers to ensure access to its data sharing platform (Irish Insurance)
European Commission - DG COMP (Brussels)
Belgium 1229 contributions 2520414 visits
Antitrust: Commission accepts commitments by Insurance Ireland to ensure access to its data sharing platform* The European Commission has made commitments offered by Insurance Ireland, an association of Irish insurers, legally binding under EU antitrust rules. Insurance Ireland must ensure (...)

The EU Court of Justice partially annuls the decision of the Commission but upholds the amounts of the fines imposed for the optical disk drives cartel (Optical Disk Drives Cartel)
European Court of Justice (Luxembourg)
Luxembourg 314 contributions 81519 visits
Cartel on the market for optical disk drives: the Court partially annuls the decision of the Commission but upholds the amounts of the fines imposed* The Commission failed to satisfy its obligation to state reasons by finding that, in addition to their participation in a single and continuous (...)

The EU Court of Justice partially annuls a Commission decision in an anticompetitive tender agreement case in the optical disk drive market but upholds the amounts of fines imposed (Optical Disk Drives Cartel)
Van Bael & Bellis (Brussels)
Belgium 2 contributions 444 visits
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Van Bael & Bellis (Brussels)
Belgium 22 contributions 4146 visits
,
Van Bael & Bellis (Brussels)
Belgium 379 contributions 88804 visits
On 16 June 2022, the Court of Justice of the European Union (“ECJ”) issued four judgments in which it partially annulled earlier judgments of the General Court, which had upheld the 2015 Commission Decision in relation to the optical disk drives (“ODDs”) cartel case. In that case, the Commission (...)

The Ankara 9th Administrative Court annuls the Turkish Competition Authority’s decision to impose an administrative monetary fine on a chemical supplier stating that the standard of proof has not been met (Hicri Ercili)
ELIG Gürkaynak Attorneys-at-Law (Istanbul)
Turkey 150 contributions 69343 visits
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ELIG Gürkaynak Attorneys-at-Law (Istanbul)
Turkey 6 contributions 1874 visits
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ELIG Gürkaynak Attorneys-at-Law (Istanbul)
Turkey 4 contributions 2076 visits
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The Ankara 9 th Administrative Court (“Administrative Court”) annulled the decision of the Turkish Competition Board (“Board”) where an administrative fine of TL 11,214,051.26 was imposed on Hicri Ercili Deniz Nakliyat Kimyevi Maddeler San. ve Tic. Ltd. Şti.) (“Hicri Ercili”), a supplier of the (...)

The Turkish Competition Authority issues final decision in the investigation regarding the price fixing infringement of an oil and gas company (Beypazarı İçecek Pazarlama Dağıtım Ambalaj Turizm Petrol İnşaat Sanayi ve Ticaret)
Turkish Competition Authority (Ankara)
Turkey 20 contributions 2288 visits
Pronouncement of the Final Decision Regarding the Investigation concerning Beypazarı İçecek Pazarlama Dağıtım Ambalaj Turizm Petrol İnşaat Sanayi ve Ticaret AŞ According to Article 49 of the Act no 4054 on the Protection of Competition (26.5.2022)* Within the scope of the investigation conducted per (...)

The Turkish Competition Authority issues final decision regarding the investigation of a petroleum company for price fixing and other anticompetitive infringements (Kınık Maden Suları)
Turkish Competition Authority (Ankara)
Turkey 20 contributions 2288 visits
Pronouncement of the Final Decision Regarding the Investigation about Kınık Maden Suları AŞ According to Article 49 of the Act no 4054 on the Protection of Competition (26.5.2022)* Within the scope of the investigation conducted per the Competition Board decision dated 24.02.2022 and numbered (...)

The Turkish Competition Authority issues first decision where leniency and settlement procedures are implemented together (Beypazarı İçecek Pazarlama Dağıtım Ambalaj Turizm Petrol İnşaat Sanayi ve Ticaret / Kınık Maden Suları)
Turkish Competition Authority (Ankara)
Turkey 20 contributions 2288 visits
The First Decision where Leniency and Settlement Procedures are Implemented Together (25.5.2022) The investigation concerning Beypazarı İçecek Pazarlama Dağıtım Ambalaj Turizm Petrol İnşaat Sanayi ve Ticaret A.Ş. and Kınık Maden Suları A.Ş. was concluded. (26.5.2022)* The investigation conducted to (...)

The Brazilian Competition Authority fines two companies and five individuals for anticompetitive conduct in the resin market (Royal Química / Cempre Apoio Educacional)
Brazilian Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE) (Brasilia)
Brazil 26 contributions 11094 visits
Cartel in the resin market is fined 46.8 million reais* The authority convicted two companies and five individuals for the anticompetitive conduct On 23 March 2022, the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE) convicted the firms Royal Química and Cempre Apoio Educacional, in (...)

The European Competition Network considers that companies may need to cooperate to mitigate the effects of the Russo-Ukrainian war and the EU Commission adopts a temporary crisis framework permitting more State aid
Van Bael & Bellis (Brussels)
Belgium 379 contributions 88804 visits
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Van Bael & Bellis (Brussels)
Belgium 8 contributions 1521 visits
Russian invasion of Ukraine prompts ECN guidance on application of EU competition rules and European Commission’s adoption of State aid crisis framework The Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022 has prompted European competition enforcers to reassess the application of the EU (...)

The Spanish Competition Authority imposes fines totalling €24M on 3 steel companies for disclosing information about prices, exchanging information about third party prices and sharing data on the technical shutdowns of their facilities (Balboa / Sidenor / ArcelorMittal)
Spanish Competition Authority (CNMC) (Madrid)
Spain 114 contributions 25907 visits
The CNMC fines three steel companies 24 million euros for two very serious infringements in the scrap purchase market in Spain* The companies disclosed information to one another regarding the prices they would offer to iron scrap suppliers. In addition, they shared data on the technical (...)

The Polish Competition Authority finds that the exchange of information between pharmaceutical wholesalers may have restricted competition in the market and resulted in higher prices for consumers in pharmacies
Polish Competition Authority (Warsaw)
Poland 102 contributions 18279 visits
Data exchange between pharmaceutical wholesalers - charges presented by the President of UOKiK* The exchange of information between pharmaceutical wholesalers may have restricted competition in the market and resulted in higher prices for consumers in pharmacies. Through specialised IT tools, (...)

The Italian Competition Authority fines three regional providers of public sector uniforms €36,000 for bid rigging (Galleria / Gim / Orsi)
Giannino SI (Monserrato)
Italy 154 contributions 129430 visits
The Italian Competition Authority finds a bid rigging practice in the market for professional clothing* The Italian Competition Authority (ICA) has recently closed its antitrust enquiry opened in the Professional Work Wear case issuing an infringement decision. It found three suppliers of (...)

The EU Commission invites comments on draft revised rules on horizontal cooperation agreements between companies
European Commission - DG COMP (Brussels)
Belgium 1229 contributions 2520414 visits
Antitrust: Commission invites comments on draft revised rules on horizontal cooperation agreements between companies* The European Commission has launched today a public consultation inviting all interested parties to comment on two draft revised Horizontal Block Exemption Regulations on (...)

The EU Commission publishes for consultation two draft revised horizontal block exemption regulations on research & development and specialisation agreements, as well as draft revised horizontal cooperation guidelines
White & Case (Brussels)
Belgium 12 contributions 9253 visits
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White & Case (Düsseldorf)
Germany 27 contributions 12002 visits
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White & Case (Brussels)
Belgium 29 contributions 10876 visits
On 1 March 2022, the European Commission ("EC") published for consultation two draft revised horizontal block exemption regulations ("HBERs") on research & development ("R&D") and specialisation agreements, as well as draft revised horizontal cooperation guidelines ("Horizontal (...)

The EU Commission seeks feedback on commitments offered by an Irish insurers’ association concerning access to its data sharing platform (Insurance Ireland)
European Commission - DG COMP (Brussels)
Belgium 1229 contributions 2520414 visits
Antitrust: Commission seeks feedback on commitments offered by Insurance Ireland concerning access to its data sharing platform* The European Commission invites comments on commitments offered by Insurance Ireland, an association of Irish insurers, to address competition concerns regarding (...)

The Australian Competition Authority authorises cooperation in the retail goods supply chain for the West and North of the country due to flooding in the South
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (Canberra)
Australia 352 contributions 74428 visits
ACCC authorises cooperation in retail goods supply chain to WA and NT* The ACCC has granted an urgent interim authorisation permitting the cooperation and sharing of information by companies in the supply chain to ensure critical retail goods, including food supplies, are able to reach (...)

The German Competition Authority imposes fines on manufacturers of modular expansion joints for bridges involved in a quota cartel (Maurer / Mageba)
German Competition Authority (Bonn)
Germany 422 contributions 106137 visits
Fines imposed on manufacturers of modular expansion joints for bridges involved in a quota cartel* The Bundeskartellamt has imposed fines totalling around 7.3 million euros on two manufacturers of modular expansion joints (expansion joint systems for road bridges) for engaging in an illegal (...)

The EU Commission publishes new draft guidance with regard to exchange of information related to dual distribution
Hogan Lovells (Munich)
Germany 4 contributions 5830 visits
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Hogan Lovells (Brussels)
Belgium 18 contributions 8203 visits
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Hogan Lovells (Munich)
Germany 30 contributions 22748 visits
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The European Commission has published a new draft guidance with regard to exchange of information related to dual distribution. This draft guidance provides valuable dos and don’ts for companies concerning the information exchange in a dual distribution scenario. Any company dealing with dual (...)

The EU Commission reviews its guidelines on vertical restraints within the broader context of the review of the Vertical Block Exemption regulation
Herbert Smith Freehills (Brussels)
Belgium 15 contributions 5413 visits
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Herbert Smith Freehills (London)
United Kingdom 49 contributions 18944 visits
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Herbert Smith Freehills (Brussels)
Belgium 97 contributions 65754 visits
The European Commission (“Commission”) is currently reviewing its Guidelines on Vertical Restraints (“Vertical Guidelines”) within the broader context of the review of the Vertical Block Exemption Regulation (“VBER”) and consulted on its proposals last year. It has now launched a further consultation (...)

The EU Commission issues proposed guidance on information exchange in dual distribution relationships
White & Case (Brussels)
Belgium 17 contributions 8000 visits
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White & Case (Düsseldorf)
Germany 27 contributions 12002 visits
,
White & Case (Brussels)
Belgium 12 contributions 9253 visits
…
As part of its review of the EU antitrust rules governing vertical agreements, the European Commission (EC) has published for consultation a draft new section of its Vertical Guidelines, which contains proposed guidance on information exchange in "dual distribution" relationships. Reacting to (...)

The Hong Kong Competition Authority commences proceedings against four undertakings and an individual for a price-fixing cartel in the travel services sector (Gray Line / Take How / Wu / Harbour Plaza 8 Degrees / Prudential Hotel)
Hong Kong Competition Commission (Hong Kong)
Hong Kong 42 contributions 8886 visits
Competition Commission takes travel services sector price-fixing cartel case to Competition Tribunal* The Competition Commission (“Commission”) has today commenced proceedings in the Competition Tribunal (“Tribunal”) against four undertakings and one individual, namely: Gray Line Tours of Hong (...)

The Turkish Competition Authority imposes a fine totalling €173.8M in the fields of retail food and cleaning products for a hub & spoke cartel involving resale price maintenance practices (Savola / A101 / Carrefour / Migros...) Free
ELIG Gürkaynak Attorneys-at-Law (Istanbul)
Turkey 150 contributions 69343 visits
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ELIG Gürkaynak Attorneys-at-Law (Istanbul)
Turkey 9 contributions 2348 visits
(1) Introduction On January 19, 2022, Turkish Competition Authority (“Authority”) has published a highly anticipated decision of the Competition Board (“Board”) regarding the investigation against retail grocery chains and suppliers of such chains, active in the fields of retail food and cleaning (...)

The UK Competition Authority disqualifies a pharmaceutical company director due to his involvement in illegal sharing of commercially sensitive information about the antidepressant nortriptyline (Pritesh Sonpal / Lexon)
United Kingdom’s Competition Authority (CMA) (London)
United Kingdom 338 contributions 86419 visits
CMA disqualifies pharma director* The CMA has secured the disqualification of a pharmaceutical company director, in connection with his involvement in illegal anti-competitive practices. Pritesh Sonpal – a former director of the pharmaceutical wholesaler Lexon – will be disqualified from taking (...)

The Polish Competition Authority fines 6 truck dealers and 8 managers for concluding agreements that limit competition (Truck Dealer Cartels)
Polish Competition Authority (Warsaw)
Poland 102 contributions 18279 visits
Truck dealer cartels - two decisions of the UOKiK President* UOKiK President Tomasz Chróstny issued two decisions concerning agreements limiting competition between truck dealers. Purchasers of these vehicles have not had a free choice of dealer for many years and have paid inflated prices. Six (...)

The Mexican Competition Authority issues warning against collusive practices during the holidays
Mexican Competition Authority (Mexico City)
Mexico 120 contributions 23963 visits
In light of December shopping season, COFECE warns companies to avoid carrying out collusive practices* Establishing prices with competitors is prohibited by the competition law and implies the imposition of both economic and criminal sanctions. Economic agents that participate or have (...)

The Hong Kong Competition Authority initiates proceedings in the Competition Tribunal against 3 mailing equipment companies for their participation in a cartel regarding the sale of inserters (Quadient / Toppan Forms / Smartech Business Systems)
Hong Kong Competition Commission (Hong Kong)
Hong Kong 42 contributions 8886 visits
Competition Commission takes inserter cartel case to Competition Tribunal* First case to be fully resolved under the Commission’s Cooperation and Settlement Policy The Competition Commission (“Commission”) has today commenced proceedings in the Competition Tribunal (“Tribunal”) against three (...)

The Spanish Competition Authority is investigating potential bid rigging by the Ministry of Defense in tenders for the supply, maintenance and upgrade of military equipment
Spanish Competition Authority (CNMC) (Madrid)
Spain 114 contributions 25907 visits
The CNMC is investigating potential bid rigging by the Spanish Ministry of Defence* The Commission is looking into alleged agreements involving bid rigging and sharing contracts related to the supply, maintenance of upgrade of military equipment. Early this month, the Commission conducted new (...)

The EU Commissioner for Competition Vestager announces increased focus on atypical cartels, including wage fixing or no-poach agreements in the labour market Free
Hogan Lovells (Munich)
Germany 30 contributions 22748 visits
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Hogan Lovells (Munich)
Germany 4 contributions 1615 visits
Antitrust authorities are increasingly focused on anticompetitive agreements in the labour markets. In a recent speech held in Rome on 22 October 2021 ("A New Era of Cartel Enforcement"), EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager emphasised that the Commission will further and further (...)

The Swedish Patent and Market Court rules that a company active in the cheese and dairy industry should pay an administrative fine for unlawful cooperation in dairy product procurement (Arla Foods)
Swedish Competition Authority (Stockholm)
Sweden 65 contributions 9173 visits
Arla Foods to pay administrative fine for unlawful cooperation* The Patent and Market Court has in a judgment decided that Arla Foods is to pay an administrative fine for having participated in an unlawful cooperation ahead of a procurement. The fact that Arla Foods has cooperated with the (...)

The Hungarian Competition Authority imposes a fine on 3 companies active in the retail trade of agricultural machinery for sharing more than a dozen national public procurement procedures among themselves (Tempel Kereskedelmi és Szolgáltató / Normtec / Slovakian Premium Line)
Hungarian Competition Authority (Budapest)
Hungary 85 contributions 17256 visits
The GVH imposed a fine on a public procurement cartel yet again* The Hungarian Competition Authority (GVH) imposed a fine of approximately HUF 135 million on three undertakings, which are active in the retail trade of agricultural machinery for sharing more than a dozen Hungarian public (...)

The Dutch Competition Authority imposes fines totalling almost €4 million on two major national collectors of used cooking oil for making price-fixing purchase agreements (Rotie / Nieuwcom)
Netherlands Authority for Consumers & Markets (ACM) (The Hague)
Netherlands 191 contributions 31561 visits
ACM imposes fines for price-fixing agreements involving the purchase of used cooking oil* The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) has imposed fines, totaling almost four million euros, on two major collectors of used cooking oil, for making cartel agreements regarding the (...)

The Mexican Competition Authority sanctions several companies, as well as nine natural persons who acted on their behalf, for colluding in the market of baby diapers, female sanitary products, and incontinence (Essity México / Kimberly Clark de México / Productos Internacionales)
Mexican Competition Authority (Mexico City)
Mexico 120 contributions 23963 visits
COFECE sanctions several companies and natural persons for colluding in the market for baby diapers, products for feminine sanitary protection and incontinence* The economic agents that produce and commercialize these products in the wholesale markets colluded to manipulate sale prices for (...)

The EU Commission seeks feedback on commitments offered by telecommunication companies concerning their network sharing agreements (T-Mobile CZ / CETIN / O2 CZ)
European Commission - DG COMP (Brussels)
Belgium 1229 contributions 2520414 visits
Antitrust: Commission seeks feedback on commitments offered by T-Mobile CZ, CETIN, and O2 CZ concerning the Czech telecommunications market* The European Commission invites comments on commitments offered by T-Mobile CZ, CETIN, O2 CZ, and their respective parent companies, Deutsche Telekom and (...)

The Spanish Competition Authority concludes the infringement proceedings against the main “majors” in film distribution and an audience measurement company for the exchange of commercially sensitive information (Paramount / Sony Pictures / Columbia Pictures / Walt Disney)
Spanish Competition Authority (CNMC) (Madrid)
Spain 114 contributions 25907 visits
The CNMC concludes the infringement proceedings against the main “majors” in film distribution and an audience measurement company* The companies under investigation have submitted a series of commitments that they are obliged to fulfill for five years. This formula, known as “termination by (...)

The Spanish Competition Authority initiates proceedings against multiple global film distribution companies for exchange of sensitive information (Paramount / Sony Pictures / Columbia Pictures / Walt Disney)
Callol, Coca & Asociados (Madrid)
Spain 161 contributions 43441 visits
This investigation was conducted against the Spanish subsidiaries of 20th Century Fox, Paramount, Rentrak, Sony, Disney, Universal, Warner Brothers and Ymagis, S.A., in connection with uniform conditions applied in the digitization of movie distribution as well as sharing of commercially (...)

The Portuguese Competition Authority publishes a final report and best practices guide on anticompetitive agreements in the labor market
Portuguese Competition Authority (Lisbon)
Portugal 106 contributions 25993 visits
The AdC publishes final Report and Best Practices Guide on anticompetitive agreements in the labor market* The AdC publishes final Report and Best Practices Guide on anticompetitive agreements in the labor market The Competition Authority has published the final version of the Report and Best (...)

The Danish Competition Authority announces the payment of a fine by a clothing retailer for exchanging information about prices with a competitor (Kaufmann)
Danish Competition and Consumer Authority (Copenhagen)
Denmark 125 contributions 34082 visits
Denmark: Clothing retailer pays a fine of DKK 3,700,000 (€ 497,560) for exchanging information about prices with a competitor* The company behind the Danish clothing retailer “Kaufmann”, Axel Kaufmann ApS, has agreed to pay a fine of DKK 3.700.000 (€ 497,560) for having shared information about (...)

The Australian Competition Authority authorises a national press union to collectively bargain with two Big Tech companies (Country Press Australia / Google / Facebook)
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (Canberra)
Australia 352 contributions 74428 visits
Country Press Australia can collectively bargain with Google and Facebook* The ACCC has authorised Country Press Australia (CPA) and its members to collectively negotiate with Google and Facebook about payments for their news content published on the platforms. CPA is an industry body (...)

The Singaporean Competition Authority issues a new general guidance note to provide businesses with more clarity on common horizontal, vertical and lateral collaborations between competitors in response to the COVID-19 pandemic Free
Baker McKenzie (Singapore)
Singapore 3 contributions 2788 visits
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Baker McKenzie (Singapore)
Singapore 5 contributions 2749 visits
CCCS proposes general guidance on common collaborations between competitors Unlike the lapsed COVID-19 Guidance Note, the new Business Collaboration Guidance Note would apply to all types of products and services, and would not have an expiry date. The Competition and Consumer Commission of (...)

The Swedish Competition Authority closes its investigation on possible anticompetitive conduct in the paint industry and highlights how crucial it is that participants react quickly if any information that may potentially be considered anticompetitive is exchanged
Bird & Bird (Copenhagen)
Denmark 9 contributions 3323 visits
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Bird & Bird (Copenhagen)
Denmark 36 contributions 7021 visits
A recent investigation by the Swedish Competition Authority (“SCA”) into discussions in a trade forum demonstrates that it is crucial that participants react quickly if any information that may potentially be considered anti-competitive is exchanged. The SCA investigated whether companies within (...)

The EU Commission imposes a fine totalling €875 million on multiple car manufacturers for restricting competition in emission cleaning for new diesel passenger cars (BMW / Daimler / VW)
Callol, Coca & Asociados (Madrid)
Spain 161 contributions 43441 visits
The EC has found that Daimler, BMW and Volkswagen group (Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche) breached EU antitrust rules by colluding on technical development in the area of nitrogen oxide cleaning. Car manufacturers had technical meetings to discuss the development of the selective catalytic (...)

The EU Commission finds that three German car manufacturers colluded by deliberately limiting competition on innovation in greener technologies for diesel vehicles (BMW / Daimler / VW)
Giannino SI (Monserrato)
Italy 154 contributions 129430 visits
By the cartel settlement decision recently rendered in Car Emissions, the European Commission (EC) found that three German car manufacturers colluded in the market for the reduction of emission of diesel cars during the period from June 2009 until October 2014. What is noteworthy in Car (...)

The Brazilian Competition Authority convicts members of a cartel in procurements for PVC pipes and fittings (BR Plásticos Indústria / BRP Indústria Plástica / Nicoll Indústria Plástica Tigre / Amanco)
Brazilian Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE) (Brasilia)
Brazil 26 contributions 11094 visits
CADE convicts a cartel in procurements for PVC pipes and fittings* In the hearing of this Wednesday (30 June), the Administrative Council for Economic Defense convicted five firms and six individuals for a cartel in public procurements for PVC pipes and fittings. Such procurements were aimed (...)

The Danish Competition Appeals Tribunal upholds two of the Competition Authority’s decisions finding that the exchange of information on prices, discounts, and quantities concerning future sales between retailers of clothing items is illegal (Hugo Boss / Kaufmann)
Danish Competition and Consumer Authority (Copenhagen)
Denmark 125 contributions 34082 visits
The Danish Competition Appeals Tribunal: Exchange of information on prices, discounts and quantities in relation to future sales between retailers of clothing items was illegal* The Danish Competition Appeals Tribunal has upheld two separate decisions of the Danish Competition Council (...)

The Indian Competition Authority rejects allegations that several domestic airlines had colluded to raise prices (Shikha Roy / Jet Airways)
Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas (New Delhi)
India 63 contributions 17427 visits
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Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas (New Delhi)
India 66 contributions 19381 visits
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Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas (New Delhi)
India 66 contributions 18280 visits
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The Competition Commission of India (CCI) rejected allegations that a number of domestic airlines had colluded to raise prices during the period of Jat agitation in February 2016. Following the conclusions of the investigating Director General (DG), the CCI found there was no evidence of a (...)

The UK Competition Authority reflects on the lessons learned from its investigation into three major suppliers of groundworks products to the construction industry for collusion (Vp / MGF / Mabey)
United Kingdom’s Competition Authority (CMA) (London)
United Kingdom 338 contributions 86419 visits
Breaking competition law: construction cartel in groundworks* Lessons learnt from the CMA’s investigation into 3 major suppliers of groundworks products to the construction industry after they broke competition law. In 2020, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) fined 2 businesses, Vp (...)

The EU Commission fines seven investment banks for operating a cartel in the primary and secondary markets for European government bonds (Bank of America / Natixis / RBS / UBS / UniCredit / WestLB)
Van Bael & Bellis (Brussels)
Belgium 22 contributions 4146 visits
On 20 May 2021, the European Commission adopted a decision imposing fines on a series of investment banks relating to the trading of European Government Bonds (“EGB”). EGB In its decision, adopted on 20 May 2021, the Commission found seven investment banks, Bank of America, Natixis, Nomura, RBS (...)

The EU Commission fines several investment banks €371 million for participating in a European government bond trading cartel (Bank of America / Natixis / RBS / UBS / UniCredit / WestLB)
European Commission - DG COMP (Brussels)
Belgium 1229 contributions 2520414 visits
Antitrust: Commission fines investment banks € 371 million for participating in a European Governments Bonds trading cartel* The European Commission has found that Bank of America, Natixis, Nomura, RBS (now NatWest), UBS, UniCredit and WestLB (now Portigon) have breached EU antitrust rules (...)

The EU Commission imposes a fine of €371 million on banks implicated in supra-sovereign, sovereign and agency bond trading cartel (Bank of America / Natixis / RBS / UBS / UniCredit / WestLB)
Herbert Smith Freehills (Brussels)
Belgium 35 contributions 14027 visits
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Herbert Smith Freehills (Brussels)
Belgium 16 contributions 4570 visits
In April and May 2021 the European Commission ("EC") announced the imposition of fines totalling almost €400 million on banks implicated in two separate cartels relating to bond trading. In a separate development, the EC took unprecedented action to exclude a number of international banks from (...)

The Spanish Competition Authority fines 22 consulting firms and several of their executives a total of EUR 6.3 million for creating a cartel in a first case where the cartelist’s fine is reduced due to implementing a compliance program (Deloitte / KPMG / PwC)
Bird & Bird (Madrid)
Spain 29 contributions 4148 visits
On 11 May 2021, the Spanish Competition Authority (CNMC) fined 22 consulting firms and several of their executives a total of EUR 6.3 million for creating a cartel in violation of Article 1 of the Spanish Competition Act (LDC) and Article 101 of the Treaty of the Functioning of the European (...)

The Spanish Supreme Court declares that the exchange of information on elements that have a significant impact on prices constitutes an infringement by object of competition rules and constitutes a cartel (Fabricantes de automóviles)
Herbert Smith Freehills (Madrid)
Spain 20 contributions 31257 visits
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Herbert Smith Freehills (Madrid)
Spain 10 contributions 1842 visits
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Herbert Smith Freehills (Madrid)
Spain 4 contributions 602 visits
In its judgment dated 6 May 2021, the Spanish Supreme Court (the "SC") found that an exchange of information among competitors that does not directly relate to final prices but that affects certain elements linked to final prices such as commercial margins, may reduce competition in (...)

The EU Commission publishes a staff working document on its evaluation of the horizontal block exemption regulations on research & development and specialisation agreements
White & Case (Brussels)
Belgium 21 contributions 23471 visits
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White & Case (Brussels)
Belgium 12 contributions 9253 visits
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White & Case (Düsseldorf)
Germany 27 contributions 12002 visits
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On 6 May 2021, the European Commission ("Commission") published a staff working document ("SWD") on its evaluation of the horizontal block exemption regulations on research & development and specialisation agreements ("H-BERs") and the horizontal guidelines. The SWD is accompanied by an (...)

The EU Commission imposes a fine of €28.5 million on banks implicated in European government bond trading cartel (Bank of America Merrill Lynch / Crédit Agricole / Crédit Suisse)
Herbert Smith Freehills (Brussels)
Belgium 35 contributions 14027 visits
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Herbert Smith Freehills (Brussels)
Belgium 16 contributions 4570 visits
In April and May 2021 the European Commission ("EC") announced the imposition of fines totalling almost €400 million on banks implicated in two separate cartels relating to bond trading. In a separate development, the EC took unprecedented action to exclude a number of international banks from (...)

The Belgian Competition Authority considers that the commitments offered by two food retailers under the purchase alliance probe were proportionate and suitable to address potential restrictions of competition (Carrefour / Provera)
Ashurst (Brussels)
Belgium 45 contributions 45067 visits
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Ashurst (Brussels)
Belgium 36 contributions 8167 visits
In its decision of 28 April 2021, the Belgian Competition Authority ("BCA") considered that the commitments offered by Carrefour and Provera under the purchase alliance probe were proportionate and suitable to address potential restrictions of competition. Following Carrefour’s divestment offer, (...)

The EU Commission imposes total fines of €28 million on three investment banks for their involvement in a cartel in the EEA secondary trading market for SSA bonds denominated in US Dollars (Bank of America Merrill Lynch / Crédit Agricole / Crédit Suisse)
Van Bael & Bellis (Brussels)
Belgium 22 contributions 4146 visits
On 28 April, the European Commission adopted a decision imposing fines on a series of investment banks relating to the trading of Supra-sovereign, Sovereign and Agency (“SSA”) bonds. SSA Bonds In the first decision, adopted on 28 April 2021, the Commission imposed total fines of € 28 million on (...)

The Polish Competition Authority initiates proceedings against national basketball clubs for limiting competition (Energa Basket Liga)
Polish Competition Authority (Warsaw)
Poland 102 contributions 18279 visits
The President of UOKiK brings charges of limiting competition against basketball clubs* President of UOKiK Tomasz Chróstny has initiated antitrust proceedings against the Energa Basket Liga and sixteen basketball clubs. The subject matter of the proceedings is the establishment of principles of (...)

The Polish Competition Authority initiates proceeding against a trucks importer and its distributor for collusion (Iveco trucks)
Polish Competition Authority (Warsaw)
Poland 102 contributions 18279 visits
Iveco trucks - proceedings of the President of UOKiK* - The importer of Iveco trucks together with the official distributors of these vehicles may have entered into a multi-year conspiracy to restrain competition. - President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection Tomasz (...)

The Brazilian Competition Authority starts its first investigation involving the labor market in the healthcare industry
Caminati Bueno Advogados (São Paulo)
Brazil 6 contributions 3381 visits
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Caminati Bueno Advogados (São Paulo)
Brazil 6 contributions 3381 visits
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Caminati Bueno Advogados (São Paulo)
Brazil 5 contributions 3221 visits
On March 17, 2021, CADE released a public order disclosing it is investigating potential anticompetitive practices performed into the labor market in Brazil , mirroring a worldwide trend that is already a strong policy in some seasoned jurisdictions. The proceeding at a glimpse As public (...)

The French Competition Authority fines national security provider for issuing cover quotes in the tobacconist security provision sector (Double Tour)
French Competition Authority (Paris)
France 709 contributions 361177 visits
The Autorité de la concurrence fines Double Tour for issuing cover quotes in the tobacconist security provision sector* Following an investigation by the Directorate General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF) into the tobacconist security provision sector, (...)

The French Competition Authority imposes a €435.000 fine on a construction company for exchanging information (Santerne Nord Tertiaire)
French Competition Authority (Paris)
France 709 contributions 361177 visits
City of Lille’s call for tenders: Santerne (Vinci group) fined up to €435,000 The Autorité de la concurrence fines Santerne Nord Tertiaire (subsidiary of the Vinci group) €435,000 for exchanging information with another company in a call for tenders organised by the city of Lille (Communauté (...)

The UK Competition Appeal Tribunal upholds the Competition Authority’s finding that a pharmaceutical company broke competition law by exchanging information (Lexon)
United Kingdom’s Competition Authority (CMA) (London)
United Kingdom 338 contributions 86419 visits
Tribunal upholds CMA decision on pharma collusion and £1.2m fine The Competition Appeal Tribunal has today upheld the CMA’s finding that Lexon broke competition law, dismissing Lexon’s appeal. Last year, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) concluded its investigation into the supply of (...)

The Hong Kong Competition Authority issues infringement notices to six hotel groups and a tour operator for facilitating cartel conduct (Gray Line / Tink Labs)
Ashurst (Singapore)
Singapore 12 contributions 14537 visits
On 26 January 2021, Hong Kong’s Competition Commission (HKCC) issued infringement notices to six hotel groups and a tour operator for facilitating a cartel arrangement between two competing travel service providers, which fixed the prices of tourist attractions and transportation tickets in Hong (...)

The French Supreme Court rules that an undertaking continues to be involved in a cartel if it keeps receiving invitations to participate without clearly distancing itself and makes other participants interpret that it shares their objectives (Goodmills Deutschland / Grands moulins de Paris)
European Commission - DG COMP (Brussels)
France 15 contributions 3081 visits
On 10 February 2021, the French Supreme Court (Cour de cassation) ruled that an undertaking continues to be involved in a cartel if it keeps receiving invitations to participate without clearly distancing itself and when other participants interpret that this undertaking shares their (...)

The German Competition Authority fines three steel forging companies for exchanging information (Bharat Forge Global / Musashi Bockenau / Bad Sobernheim)
German Competition Authority (Bonn)
Germany 422 contributions 106137 visits
Bundeskartellamt imposes fines on steel forging companies* The Bundeskartellamt has imposed fines totalling approx. 35 million euros on three steel forging companies and two senior staff members for their involvement in an anti-competitive exchange of information. The companies concerned are (...)

The German Competition Authority fines steel forging companies for illegal exchange of information (CDP Bharat Forge / Bharat Forge CDP / Johann Hay Automobiltechnik)
Van Bael & Bellis (Brussels)
Belgium 27 contributions 3421 visits
According to a press release issued on 4 February 2021, the German Federal Cartel Office (“FCO”) fined three steel forging companies and two responsible individuals a total amount of approximately € 35 million for anti-competitive information exchange between October 2002 and December 2018. (...)

The Romanian Competition Authority fines a national association and 16 financial companies €8.47 million for exchanging information (Association of Romanian Financial Companies)
Romanian Competition Council (Bucharest)
Roumanie 127 contributions 23026 visites
The Competition Council has fined the Romanian Association of Financial Companies and 16 financial companies euro 8.47 million* The Competition Council has fined the Association of Romanian Financial Companies (hereinafter ALB) and 16 member companies lei 41,251,774 (approx. Euro 8.47 million) (...)

The Romanian Competition Authority imposes fines totaling € 26.6 million on 31 companies for engaging in concerted practices aimed at sharing wood lots and supply sources on the wood processing (Egger / Holzindustrie Schweighofer / Kronospan...)
Van Bael & Bellis (Brussels)
Belgium 13 contributions 1972 visits
On 19 January 2021, the Romanian Competition Council (“RCC”) imposed fines totalling € 26.6 million on 31 companies for engaging in concerted practices aimed at sharing wood lots and supply sources on the wood processing market. The RCC found that the companies coordinated their conduct between (...)

The French Competition Authority dismisses the thermal insulation case (Centre Scientifique et Technique du Bâtiment / Saint-Gobain Isover / Syndicat National des Fabricants d’Isolants en Laines Minérales Manufacturées)
French Competition Authority (Paris)
France 709 contributions 361177 visits
The Autorité de la concurrence dismisses the thermal insulation case* Background In response to a referral by the French Minister of the Economy and the company Actis regarding practices in the sector of thermal insulation for buildings by the Centre Scientifique et Technique du Bâtiment (...)

The Romanian Competition Authority fines an association of financial companies and 16 financial companies for exchanging sensitive information (Association of Romanian Financial Companies)
Van Bael & Bellis (Brussels)
Belgium 13 contributions 1972 visits
On 12 January 2021, the Romanian Competition Council (“RCC”) imposed fines totalling € 8.47 million on the Association of Romanian Financial Companies and sixteen of its members for exchanging commercially sensitive information such as information concerning assets values, current and future (...)

The Spanish Competition Authority fines three cartels and five directors €3.7M for price fixing, bid rigging and exchanging information in the sale of smelting inputs (FISL / Grafitos / Toro)
Ashurst (Madrid)
Spain 13 contributions 1919 visits
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Ashurst (Madrid)
Spain 8 contributions 1212 visits
The Spanish competition authority ("CNMC") has fined six companies and five directors participating in three cartels, breaching EU and Spanish antitrust rules by fixing prices and other commercial conditions, sharing customers and exchanging commercially sensitive information for almost 20 (...)

The Polish Competition Authority fines several fitness chains for collusion (Benefit Systems / Bartosz Gibała / Platinium Wellness)
Polish Competition Authority (Warsaw)
Poland 102 contributions 18279 visits
Collusion on the fitness market - decision by the President of UOKiK* Tomasz Chróstny, the President of UOKiK, has imposed over PLN 32 million in financial penalties on the largest fitness chains, including Benefit Systems (operator of MultiSport cards) for a competition-restricting collusion (...)

The German Competition Authority fines five aluminium forging companies and ten responsible individuals for price fixing (Otto Fuchs / Leiber / Emmingen-Liptingen)
Van Bael & Bellis (Brussels)
Belgium 27 contributions 3421 visits
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Van Bael & Bellis (Brussels)
Belgium 24 contributions 4254 visits
On 23 December 2020, the German Federal Cartel Office (“FCO”) announced that it had fined five aluminium forging companies and ten responsible individuals a total amount of approximately € 175 million for price fixing between April 2006 and April 2018. Automotive and motorcycle manufacturers and (...)

The German Competition Authority fines five aluminium forging companies and ten employees responsible for engaging in illegal anti-competitive agreements (Otto Fuchs / Leiber / Emmingen-Liptingen..)
German Competition Authority (Bonn)
Germany 422 contributions 106137 visits
Bundeskartellamt - Cartel Prosecution* Fines imposed on aluminium forging companies on account of anti-competitive agreements Bonn, 23 December 2020: The Bundeskartellamt has imposed fines totalling approximately 175 million euros on five aluminium forging companies and ten employees (...)

The UK Competition Authority fines suppliers of groundworks products to the construction industry for coordinating their commercial activities (Vp / M.G.F.)
Ashurst (London)
United Kingdom 18 contributions 5935 visits
On 17 December 2020, the CMA issued a decision finding that three UK-based suppliers of groundworks products to the UK construction industry had illegally colluded in order to reduce competition and maintain or increase prices, in breach of Chapter 1 of the Competition Act 1998 and Article 101 (...)

The Swedish Competition Authority takes legal action against a company in the cheese and dairy industry for exchanging strategic information with a competitor in connection to public procurement (Arla Foods)
Swedish Competition Authority (Stockholm)
Sweden 65 contributions 9173 visits
The Swedish Competition Authority takes legal action against Arla Foods for unlawful cooperation*. According to the Swedish Competition Authority, Arla Foods has participated in an unlawful cooperation by exchanging strategic information with a competitor in the connection to a public (...)

The US DoJ remains committed to prosecuting collusion in labour markets to reduce employee wages (Neeraj Jindal)
Covington & Burling (Washington)
United States 1 contribution 168 visits
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Covington & Burling (Washington)
United States 14 contributions 10445 visits
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Covington & Burling (Washington)
United States 4 contributions 1079 visits
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On December 10th, the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice announced its first criminal indictment targeting an alleged conspiracy to reduce employee wages. The DOJ charged the former owner of a therapist staffing company with conspiring to reduce pay rates for healthcare worker (...)

The Czech Competition Authority imposes fines totaling CSK 75 million for IT cartel agreement (Autocont / Tesco / Asseco Central Europe)
Czech Competition Authority (Brno)
Czech Republic 34 contributions 4836 visits
Office imposed fines for IT cartel agreement in total amount of CSK 75 million* By its first-instance decision of 7 December 2020, the Office for the Protection of Competition imposed fines in the total amount of CZK 74,622,000 on AUTOCONT a.s., TESCO SW a.s., ICZ a.s., MERIT GROUP a.s., (...)

The US DoJ indicts the owner of a therapist staffing company on wage-fixing charges (Neeraj Jindal)
Latham & Watkins (San Francisco)
United States 1 contribution 115 visits
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Morgan Lewis (Silicon Valley)
United States 11 contributions 1794 visits
A federal grand jury in Texas indicted the owner of a therapist staffing company on wage-fixing charges on December 9. Although this is the US Department of Justice’s first criminal wage-fixing prosecution, the indictment underscores that enforcement agencies remain focused on policing these (...)

The US DoJ brings criminal charges for wage-fixing on therapist staffing companies (Neeraj Jindal)
Jones Day (Washington)
United States 2 contributions 409 visits
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Jones Day (San Francisco)
United States 3 contributions 894 visits
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Jones Day (Houston)
United States 33 contributions 15326 visits
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The Department of Justice Antitrust Division ("DOJ") has indicted a Texas businessman for conspiring with competitors to fix employee wages in violation of the Sherman Act. This action challenges particularly blatant conduct, but is consistent with recent attention to antitrust in employment (...)

The Singaporean Competition Authority reduces fines by 20% to 70% imposed on distributors of fresh chicken engaged in a cartel (Gold Chic Poultry / Hua Kun / Toh Thye San Farm / Lee Say...)
Ashurst (Singapore)
Singapore 12 contributions 14537 visits
On 4 December 2020, Singapore’s Competition Appeal Board (CAB) reduced penalties imposed on eight out of thirteen distributors of fresh chicken found to have engaged in cartel conduct in September 2018. The reduction in fines ranged from 20% to 70%. What you need to know - key takeaways While (...)

The Mexican Competition Authority issues warnings about the consequences of a possible price increase resulting from agreements between competitors in the food production sector
Mexican Competition Authority (Mexico City)
Mexico 120 contributions 23963 visits
COFECE warns several associations of tortilla producers about the consequences of a possible price increase if this is the result of an agreement between competitors* The price established by each tortilla producer must be an individual determination COFECE’s Investigative Authority could (...)

The Lithuanian Competition Authority reduces fine for price fixing due to the effects of COVID-19 pandemic (Theatrical Film Distribution / NCG Distribution / Forum Cinemas) Free
Journal of Parliamentary and Political Law (Ottawa)
43 contributions 18784 visits
It was a classic case of a price fixing cartel brought to the competition authority’s attention by a potential victim. The Lithuanian competition authority, Konkurencijos taryba, or Competition Council of the Republic of Lithuania (‘Competition Council’), announced on 25 November 2020 that its (...)

The French Competition Authority amends its decision-making practice in the field of public procurement to comply with the recent case law of the EU Court of Justice, making the administrative courts the only regulators thereof (Ovimpex group / Dhumeaux / Mondial Viande Service / Vianov)
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner (Paris)
France 1 contribution 520 visits
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French Ministry of Economy and Finance (Paris)
France 1 contribution 520 visits
Introduction On 25 November 2020, the French Competition Authority (hereafter, the “FCA”) amended its decision-making practice in the field of public procurement (FCA, Decision 20-D-19 of 25 November 2020), to comply with the recent judgement “Ecoservice Projektai” of the European Court of Justice (...)

The Lithuanian Competition Authority reduces fines imposed on a cartel of cinema companies as a measure against the COVID-19 pandemic (Theatrical Film Distribution / NCG Distribution / Forum Cinemas) Free
Lithuanian Competition Authority (Vilnius)
Lithuania 99 contributions 18343 visits
As a Result of COVID-19 Pandemic, Lithuanian Competition Council Reduces Fines Imposed on Cinema Companies That Formed Cartel* The Lithuanian competition authority Konkurencijos taryba has found that the film distributor Theatrical Film Distribution and the firms NCG Distribution and Forum (...)

The Polish Competition Authority conducts dawn raids and initiates explanatory proceedings against four pharmaceutical wholesalers over allegations of exchange of information and price fixing (Neuca Spółka Akcyjna / Przedsiębiorstwo Dystrybucji Farmaceutycznej Slawex / Farmacol Serwis / Farmacol Logistyka)
Polish Competition Authority (Warsaw)
Poland 102 contributions 18279 visits
Do pharmaceutical wholesalers increase drug prices by exchanging information?* Could unfair market practices, resulting in higher drug prices and restriction of competition, be facilitated by the IT systems used by pharmaceutical wholesalers? President of UOKiK Tomasz Chróstny has initiated (...)

The Slovak Competition Authority fines three undertakings for a cartel agreement in the area of supplies of machines and mechanical and technological equipment
Slovak Competition Authority (Bratislava)
Slovakia 50 contributions 4741 visits
AMO SR decided to impose fines on three undertakings for a cartel agreement in the area of supplies of machines and mechanical and technological equipment* On 18 November 2020 the Antimonopoly Office of the Slovak Republic, the Division of Cartels, (hereafter "the Office") issued a decision, (...)

The Turkish Competition Authority rejects the information exchange scheme proposed by an online platform for failing to fulfill the individual exemption requirements (IMDER)
ELIG Gürkaynak Attorneys-at-Law (Istanbul)
Turkey 150 contributions 69343 visits
On January 24, 2020, Türkiye İş Makinaları Distribütörleri ve İmalatçıları Birliği (“IMDER”), an association of undertakings active in distribution and production of construction equipment, applied to the Turkish Competition Authority (“Authority”) for a negative clearance or an individual exemption with (...)

The Italian Competition Authority opens investigation into insurance association’s "fraud detection project" in non-life and life insurance for possible competitive concerns (ANIA)
Italian Competition Authority (Rome)
Italy 60 contributions 15335 visits
ICA: Investigation launched against ANIA regarding the ’fraud detection project’ in non-life and life insurance* The Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato initiated an investigation against the Associazione Nazionale fra le Imprese Assicuratrici (ANIA), which originates from a (...)

The Norwegian Competition Authority carries out unannounced inspections in the sea freight market
Norwegian Competition Authority (Bergen)
Norway 29 contributions 3300 visits
Inspections in the market for sea freight* The Norwegian Competition Authority has carried out unannounced inspections in the market for sea freight. – The Competition Authority has concerns that companies in the market for sea freight may have exchanged competitively sensitive information (...)

The Dutch Competition Authority allows insurers to introduce a joint scheme for handling vehicle-damage claims
Netherlands Authority for Consumers & Markets (ACM) (The Hague)
Netherlands 191 contributions 31561 visits
ACM: insurers are allowed to introduce joint scheme for handling vehicle-damage claims* Insurers in the Netherlands are allowed to introduce a scheme that will enable them to handle cases involving damage to vehicles in a faster and more simplified manner. Currently, consumers that have (...)

The UK Competition Authority issues fines of over £9 million for roofing lead cartel (Associated Lead Mills / BLM British Lead)
United Kingdom’s Competition Authority (CMA) (London)
United Kingdom 338 contributions 86419 visits
CMA issues fines of over £9m for roofing lead cartel* The CMA has imposed fines totalling more than £9m on 2 of the UK’s largest suppliers of rolled lead, for breaking competition law. Following an investigation into suspected cartel conduct, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) found (...)

The UK Competition Authority fines two suppliers of rolled lead £9.5M for entering into anticompetitive arrangements (Associated Lead Mills / BLM British Lead)
Government Legal Department (London)
18 contributions 2297 visits
On 4 November 2020, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (“CMA”) imposed fines totalling £9.5 million on two of the UK’s largest rolled lead suppliers for their role in a roofing lead cartel. The CMA fined Associated Lead Mills Ltd and H.J. Enthoven Ltd (trading as BLM British Lead) £1.5 (...)

The Hong Kong Competition Authority welcomes the Competition Tribunal’s judgment against an IT cartel for price-fixing in the first case where the liability and relief portions of the proceedings have been resolved by settlement (Quantr / Cheung Man Kit / Nintex)
Hong Kong Competition Commission (Hong Kong)
Hong Kong 42 contributions 8886 visits
Competition Commission welcomes judgment in IT cartel conduct case* The Competition Commission (Commission) welcomes the judgment handed down by the Competition Tribunal (Tribunal) today (3 November) in proceedings involving the exchange of competitively sensitive information in the IT sector. (...)

The Austrian Competition Authority files an application to fine four construction companies for price-fixing, market division, and other anti-competitive conduct
Austrian Competition Authority (Vienna)
Austria 41 contributions 4380 visits
AFCA files application to fine four construction companies for price fixing, market division and other anti-competitive conduct* The alleged infringements include price fixing, market divison and the exchange of competitively sensitive information. On 29 October 2020 the Austrian Federal (...)

The Italian Administrative Court of First Instance annuls the Competition Authority’s decision sanctioning a cartel of car manufacturers because of a breach of the parties’ right to a reasonable duration of the proceedings and for failing to characterize the ’by object’ restriction (Banca / Banque PSA / Santander Consumer Bank / BMW Bank)
Ashurst (Milan)
Italy 102 contributions 28139 visits
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Ashurst (Brussels)
Belgium 45 contributions 45067 visits
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Ashurst (Brussels)
Belgium 11 contributions 5899 visits
On 21 October 2020 the Italian Administrative Court of First Instance ("TAR Lazio") annulled the decision issued by the Italian Competition Authority ("ICA") on 20 December 2018 sanctioning a number of car manufacturers and their "captive banks" in relation to an alleged cartel concerning car (...)

The Polish Competition Authority obliges an association of marketing agencies to stop affecting its members’ independence in tenders and stop organizing unauthorized exchanges of information (Marketing Communication Association SAR)
Polish Competition Authority (Warsaw)
Poland 102 contributions 18279 visits
Marketing Communication Association SAR to change its practices* The Marketing Communication Association SAR affected the independence of its members in tenders and organized unauthorized exchange of information. President of UOKiK Tomasz Chróstny has obliged the Association to change its (...)

The Australian Competition Authority commences civil proceedings in the Federal Court against overhead crane company over alleged market sharing cartel (NQCranes)
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (Canberra)
Australia 352 contributions 74428 visits
Action over alleged market sharing cartel in the overhead crane industry* The ACCC has today commenced civil proceedings in the Federal Court against overhead crane company NQCranes Pty Ltd, alleging it engaged in cartel conduct in contravention of the Competition and Consumer Act. The ACCC (...)

The Indian Competition Authority dismisses cartel allegations against 19 importers of phenol on account of absent conclusive evidence to establish collusion (Sachin Chemicals / Deepak Phenolics / Chokshi Chem / Chemtrade Overseas / Yug...)
Trilegal (Mumbai)
India 8 contributions 6113 visits
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Trilegal (Mumbai)
India 8 contributions 6113 visits
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1 contribution 187 visits
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) dismissed allegations of cartelization against 19 importers of phenol, on account of absence of conclusive evidence to establish collusion. The CCI held that mere price parallelism does not amount to cartelisation and closed the case. Significantly, the (...)

The EU General Court partially annuls the Commission’s decision ordering inspections at French food retail chains headquarters (Casino, Guichard-Perrachon / Achats Marchandises Casino) (Intermarché Casino Achats) (Les Mousquetaires / ITM Entreprises)
Addleshaw Goddard
France 39 contributions 43382 visits
On 5 October 2020, the EU General Court ("GC") partially annulled European Commission ("Commission") decisions ordering inspections at ITM and Casino’s premises in 2017 following suspicions of illegal anticompetitive exchanges of competitively sensitive information. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW - KEY (...)

The EU General Court partially annuls the decisions of the Commission to order dawn raids on a number of French retailers (Casino, Guichard-Perrachon / Achats Marchandises Casino) (Intermarché Casino Achats) (Les Mousquetaires / ITM Entreprises)
White & Case (Brussels)
Belgium 29 contributions 10876 visits
Partial annulment of European Commission decisions to order dawn raid inspections* On 5 October 2020, the General Court of the European Union (GC) partially annulled decisions of the European Commission (EC) to order on-the-spot inspections (dawn raids) of a number of French retailers.. The (...)

The EU General Court partially annuls decisions ordering dawn raids at the headquarters of two French food retail chains (Casino, Guichard-Perrachon / Achats Marchandises Casino) (Intermarché Casino Achats) (Les Mousquetaires / ITM Entreprises)
Covington & Burling (Brussels)
Belgium 43 contributions 15779 visits
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Gide Loyrette Nouel (Paris)
France 1 contribution 157 visits
In three related judgments of October 5, 2020 (T-249/17, T-254/17 and T-255/17) the General Court (the “GC”) partially annulled European Commission inspection decisions which were the basis for dawn raids on several French retailers. The judgments further develop the position adopted in Czech (...)

The EU General Court annuls in part the Commission’s inspection decisions following suspicions of anticompetitive practices by several French undertakings in the distribution sector (Casino, Guichard-Perrachon / Achats Marchandises Casino) (Intermarché Casino Achats) (Les Mousquetaires / ITM Entreprises)
General Court of the European Union (Luxembourg)
Luxembourg 58 contributions 26388 visits
The General Court annuls in part the Commission’s inspection decisions following suspicions of anticompetitive practices by a number of French undertakings in the distribution sector* The Commission has failed to show that it had sufficiently strong evidence to suspect exchanges of information (...)

The EU General Court partially annuls the Commission’s inspection decisions ordering several French undertakings active in the distribution sector to submit to dawn-raid inspections (Casino, Guichard-Perrachon / Achats Marchandises Casino) (Intermarché Casino Achats) (Les Mousquetaires / ITM Entreprises)
Bird & Bird (Rome)
Italy 19 contributions 3734 visits
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Luiss Guido Carli University (Rome)
Italy 27 contributions 4958 visits
In October 2020, the General Court of the European Union (GC) issued an important decision in the joined Casino cases which promises to ensure that competition investigations will be more robust and afford greater protection to companies‘ rights. Both the European Commission (EC) and companies (...)

The EU General Court partially annuls the Commission’s decision authorizing unannounced dawn raids to be carried out at the headquarters of two French food retail chains (Casino, Guichard-Perrachon / Achats Marchandises Casino) (Intermarché Casino Achats) (Les Mousquetaires / ITM Entreprises)
Dechert (Paris)
France 43 contributions 61799 visits
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Magenta (Paris)
France 1 contribution 227 visits
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Dechert (Paris)
France 16 contributions 15890 visits
In three recent judgments issued on 5 October 2020, the General Court of the European Union ("GCEU") partially annulled the European Commission’s ("Commission") decisions of February 2017 which had authorized onsite unannounced inspections ("dawn raid”) to be carried out at the headquarters of (...)

The EU Commission fines car parts suppliers €18 million in cartel settlement in the market for closure systems for cars (Brose / Kiekert / Magna)
European Commission - DG COMP (Brussels)
Belgium 1229 contributions 2520261 visits
Antitrust: Commission fines car parts suppliers of € 18 million in cartel settlement* The European Commission has fined Brose and Kiekert a total of € 18 million for taking part in two cartels concerning supplies of closure systems for cars in the European Economic Area (EEA). Magna was not (...)

The Dutch Competition Authority fines 4 cigarette manufacturers EUR 88 million for distorting competition through exchange of information through third parties (British American Tobacco / JT International / Phillip Morris / Van Nelle Tabak)
Netherlands Authority for Consumers & Markets (ACM) (The Hague)
Netherlands 191 contributions 31561 visits
Four cigarette manufacturers fined 82 million euros for distorting competition* The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) has imposed fines totaling more than 82 million euros on four major cigarette manufacturers. Between July 2008 and July 2011, they distorted competition. (...)

The Norwegian Competition Authority considers imposing fines on four publishers and a book database company for illegally sharing competitive sensitive information (Cappelen Damm / Forlagshuset Vigmostad & Bjørke / Gyldendal / Aschehoug / Bokbasen)
Norwegian Competition Authority (Bergen)
Norway 29 contributions 3300 visits
Considers imposing fines on five companies in the book market totalling NOK 502 million* The Norwegian Competition Authority warns in a statement of objections that it considers imposing fines of NOK 502 million in total on the four publishers Cappelen Damm, Forlagshuset Vigmostad & Bjørke, (...)

The Hungarian Competition Authority launches an investigation against two marketing undertakings that may have allocated the market (Star Network / 4KIDS)
Hungarian Competition Authority (Budapest)
Hungary 85 contributions 17256 visits
The Competition Authority has launched an investigation against two marketing undertakings that may have allocated the market* The Hungarian Competition Authority (GVH) has initiated a proceeding against Star Network MCN Szolgáltató Kft. and 4KIDS Meseportál Kft. due to concerns that the (...)

The Dutch District Court of Noord-Nederland holds a former director personally liable for the North Sea shrimps cartel (Gerard Willem Breuker)
Bird & Bird (The Hague)
Netherlands 7 contributions 3273 visits
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Bird & Bird (The Hague)
Netherlands 11 contributions 4584 visits
Introduction On 23 September 2020 a former director of one of the North Sea shrimps cartelists was held personally liable for damage of over € 13 million by the Dutch District Court of Noord-Nederland (“Court”). According to the Court, the director’s personal involvement in the cartel qualified as (...)

The French Competition Authority sanctions three professional organisations for anticompetitive practices in the wine sector (AVA / GPNVA / CIVA)
French Competition Authority (Paris)
France 709 contributions 361177 visits
Alsace wines: The Autorité sanctions three professional organisations for anticompetitive practices* Following evidence and documents sent by the French Directorate General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control (DGCCRF), the Autorité sanctioned two trade associations, the (...)

The US District Court for the Southern District of Georgia indicts ready-mix concrete company and individuals for price-fixing and bid-rigging (Evans Concrete)
US Department of Justice (Washington DC)
United States 145 contributions 57756 visits
Ready-Mix Concrete Company And Individuals Indicted For Fixing Prices And Rigging Bids In Violation Of Antitrust Laws* A federal grand jury returned an indictment against one company and four individuals for their roles in a long-running conspiracy to fix prices, rig bids, and allocate markets (...)

The Norwegian Court of Appeal in Borgarting upholds the Competition Authority’s decision finding illegal cooperation between 2 publishing companies (Cappelen Damm / Gyldendal)
Norwegian Competition Authority (Bergen)
Norway 29 contributions 3300 visits
Court of Appeal upholds decision against publishing companies* Borgarting Court of Appeal agrees with the Norwegian Competition Authority that the publishing companies Cappelen Damm and Gyldendal cooperated illegally and boycotted the distributor Interpress. The publishers exchanged (...)

The Hong Kong Competition Authority cautions participants of anti-COVID-19 subsidy programs to comply with the Competition Ordinance Free
Hong Kong Competition Commission (Hong Kong)
Hong Kong 42 contributions 8889 visits
Competition Commission cautions participants in anti-epidemic subsidy programmes to comply with Competition Ordinance* The Competition Commission (Commission) has noticed recent media reports on businesses suspected of engaging in collusive practices when procuring and supplying goods and (...)

The Mexican Competition Authority fines 11 companies and 14 individuals for colluding in public tenders for services of laboratory tests and blood banks (Selecciones Médicas / Vitalmex / Centrum / Impromed / Falcón ...)
Mexican Competition Authority (Mexico City)
Mexico 120 contributions 23964 visits
COFECE fines companies and natural persons for colluding in tenders for services for laboratory tests and blood banks convened by IMSS and ISSSTE* The Board of Commissioners determined that 11 companies and 14 natural persons coordinated their bids or abstained from bidding in several tenders (...)

The US DoJ announces that a proposed patent-pooling platform dedicated to 5G cellular technology standards for use in the automotive industry is unlikely to harm competition (Avanci)
Seyfarth Shaw (Boston)
United States 1 contribution 87 visits
DOJ Antitrust Division Approval of Pooling of “Essential” Standards Will Help Speed Integration of 5G Technology Into New Vehicles* The US Department of Justice (DOJ) Antitrust Division recently announced that it has concluded that a proposed patent-pooling platform dedicated to “essential” 5G (...)

The US DoJ issues a letter for monoclonal antibody manufacturers to expand their production and allows exchange of information during the COVID-19 pandemic Free
US Department of Justice (Washington DC)
United States 145 contributions 57756 visits
Department Of Justice Issues Business Review Letter To Monoclonal Antibody Manufacturers To Expedite And Increase The Production Of Covid-19 Mab Treatments* The United States Department of Justice announced today that it will not challenge proposed efforts by Eli Lilly and Company, AbCellera (...)

The Singapore Competition Authority issues a guidance note on collaborations between competitors in response to the COVID-19 pandemic Free
Bird & Bird (Singapore)
Singapore 4 contributions 312 visits
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Bird & Bird (Singapore)
Singapore 5 contributions 377 visits
COVID-19 has presented significant economic challenges to businesses across all industries, disrupting daily operations and global supply chains. During this time, temporary collaborations among competitors have become an important means of sustaining or improving the supply of essential goods (...)

The French Competition Authority fines twelve undertakings for taking part in a double-sided cold meat cartel (Charcuterie cartel)
Addleshaw Goddard
France 39 contributions 43382 visits
The French Competition Authority ("FCA") has fined twelve undertakings involved in a cartel at multiple levels of the ham and cold meats sector. On 16 July 2020, the FCA issued a decision (n°20-D-09) imposing fines to 12 undertakings which were party to a cartel in the ham and cold meats sector (...)

The French Competition Authority fines 12 manufacturers for cartel in the ham and cold meat sector (Charcuterie cartel)
French Competition Authority (Paris)
France 709 contributions 361198 visits
The Autorité hands out fines worth 93 million euros to a cartel in the ham and cold meats (charcuterie) sector* The manufactures involved (“cold meat manufacturers”) worked in concert in order to purchase cuts of ham from slaughterhouses at lower prices and/or were fixing the price increases for (...)

The French Competition Authority imposes € 93 million fine on cartel in ham and cold meat sector (Charcuterie cartel)
Van Bael & Bellis (Brussels)
Belgium 379 contributions 88785 visits
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Hogan Lovells (Brussels)
Belgium 4 contributions 517 visits
On 16 July 2020, the French Competition Authority (“FCA”) imposed a € 93 million fine on twelve ham and cold meats manufacturers (Cooperl Arc Atlantique, Les Mousquetaires, Fleury Michon, Coop, Savencia, Campofrio, Aubret, Sonical, La Financiere du Haut Pays, CA Animation, Nestle, Salaison du (...)

The EU Commission fines ethylene purchasers in the chemical industry for participating in a cartel aimed at purchasing a product at the lowest possible price (Orbia / Clariant / Celanese / Westlake)
Herbert Smith Freehills (Brussels)
Belgium 35 contributions 14032 visits
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Herbert Smith Freehills (Brussels)
Belgium 16 contributions 4570 visits
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Herbert Smith Freehills (Brussels)
Belgium 3 contributions 293 visits
On 22 January 2021, the European Commission published a non-confidential version of its decision to fine ethylene purchasers Orbia, Clariant and Celanese a total of EUR 260 million for participating in a cartel aimed at purchasing ethylene at the lowest possible price, to the detriment of (...)

The EU Commission fines ethylene purchasers for having colluded and exchanged information on purchase prices (Orbia / Clariant / Celanese / Westlake)
Ashurst (Brussels)
Belgium 45 contributions 45067 visits
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ADNOC Group (Abu Dhabi)
29 contributions 4878 visits
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Ashurst (London)
United Kingdom 18 contributions 5933 visits
Fines for ethylene purchasing cartel On 14 July 2020, the European Commission ("Commission") fined ethylene purchasers Orbia, Clariant and Celanese EUR 260 million for having colluded and exchanged information on purchase prices on the ethylene merchant market with a fourth participant, (...)

The EU Commission fines ethylene purchasers €260 million in cartel settlement for colluding to buy at the lowest possible price (Orbia / Clariant / Celanese / Westlake)
European Commission - DG COMP (Brussels)
Belgium 1229 contributions 2520414 visits
Antitrust: Commission fines ethylene purchasers € 260 million in cartel settlement* The European Commission has fined Orbia, Clariant and Celanese a total of € 260 million for breaching EU antitrust rules. Westlake was not fined as it revealed the cartel to the Commission. The companies took (...)

The EU Commission fines ethylene purchasers €260 million in a cartel settlement (Orbia / Clariant / Calanese / Westlake)
Van Bael & Bellis (Brussels)
Belgium 379 contributions 88785 visits
On 14 July 2020, the European Commission (the “Commission”) announced that it had adopted a decision fin‐ ing three ethylene purchasers a total of € 260,443,000. The companies concerned namely, Orbia (Mexico), Clari‐ ant (Switzerland), Calanese (United States) and Westlake (United States), were (...)

The Indian Competition Authority issues for the second time in a cartelization case a cease and desist order with no penalty against 10 suppliers of brake blocks for alleged bid-rigging (Chief Materials Manager, South Eastern Railway / Hindustan Composites) Free
Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan (New Delhi)
India 92 contributions 8955 visits
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Lakshmikumaran & Sridharan (New Delhi)
India 92 contributions 9001 visits
Two of the final orders recently pronounced by the CCI finding parties in violation of the cartel and bid-rigging provisions of the Competition Act, 2002 (“Act”) have come as a surprise to many. While the CCI found clinching evidence regarding the existence of an agreement to cartelize and rig (...)

The Swedish Competition Authority fines 2 interior design companies with over SEK 500,000 for coordinating sales prices of furniture (Artilleriet Interiors / Royal Design Group)
Swedish Competition Authority (Stockholm)
Sweden 65 contributions 9173 visits
Two companies consensually agree to pay administrative fines for engaging in unlawful cooperation* Two companies engaged in the sale of interior design, furniture, and home furnishing have consented to pay a fine order from the Swedish Competition Authority. The companies coordinated some of (...)

The Japanese FTC issues a cease and desist order against 3 distributors of high school uniforms in Toyota City, Aichi Prefecture for engaging in anticompetitive conduct (Gakuseinomise Mikusa Toyotaten / Kondo Yofukuten / Nonoyama Yofuku)
Japan Fair Trade Commission (Tokyo)
Japan 126 contributions 22041 visits
JFTC Issued Cease and Desist Orders against Uniform Distributors of Aichi Prefectural High Schools in Toyota City* JFTC today issued cease and desist orders pursuant to the provision of Paragraph 2, Article 7 of the Antimonopoly Act (hereinafter referred to as “AMA”) against the uniform (...)

The Danish Competition Authority orders a fashion company to stop anti-competitive information exchange with its retailers (Hugo Boss / Kaufmann) (Hugo Boss / Ginsborg)
Van Bael & Bellis (Brussels)
Belgium 162 contributions 54158 visits
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Clifford Chance (Brussels)
Belgium 7 contributions 1172 visits
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Van Bael & Bellis (Brussels)
Belgium 1 contribution 277 visits
On 24 June 2020, the Danish Competition Council (“DCC”) adopted two separate decisions concerning anticompetitive conduct engaged in: (i) between the clothing manufacturer, supplier and retailer Hugo Boss Nordic ApS (“Hugo Boss”) and the retailer Axel Kaufmann ApS (“Kaufmann”) and (ii) between Hugo (...)

The Danish Competition Authority finds the exchange of information on prices, discounts and quantities in relation to future sales between retailers of clothing items illegal (Hugo Boss / Kaufmann)
Danish Competition and Consumer Authority (Copenhagen)
Denmark 125 contributions 34082 visits
The Danish Competition Council has adopted a decision finding the exchange of information on prices, discounts and quantities in relation to future sales between retailers of clothing items illegal* On June 24 2020, the Danish Competition Council (DCC) adopted two separate decisions concerning (...)

The Czech Competition Authority imposes fines for illegal cartel agreement in the rail freight transport market (AWT / Interfracht / Argo Logistics / Spedica)
Bird & Bird (Prague)
Czech Republic 25 contributions 3951 visits
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Bird & Bird (Prague)
Czech Republic 14 contributions 3023 visits
On 22 June 2020 the Czech Office for the Protection of Competition (Office) published a press release (without publishing the full decision yet) regarding fines imposed for concluding and executing a prohibited cartel agreement regarding train projects Carpathia, Sylvania, and New Carpathia. (...)

The US District Court for the Northern District of California announces a $100,000 fine and sentences a former CEO to 40 months in prison for his role in a tuna price fixing conspiracy involving two competitors (Bumble Bee Foods)
Hogan Lovells (Washington)
United States 3 contributions 630 visits
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Hogan Lovells (Washington)
United States 12 contributions 3212 visits
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Hogan Lovells (Washington)
United States 7 contributions 2276 visits
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On 16 June 2020, the former CEO of Bumble Bee Foods LLC was sentenced to 40 months in prison and fined US$100,000 for his role in a tuna price-fixing conspiracy involving two competitors. This sentence is one of the most significant penalties ever imposed on a corporate executive in a criminal (...)

The UK Competition Authority updates its investigation of roofing cartel with new provisional findings and secures admission of guilt by the country’s two largest suppliers of rolled lead (Associated Lead Mills / BLM British Lead)
United Kingdom’s Competition Authority (CMA) (London)
United Kingdom 338 contributions 86419 visits
Two UK roofing lead firms admit to illegal cartel* Two of the UK’s largest suppliers of rolled lead have admitted to taking part in anti-competitive arrangements and could face fines of more than £11 million. Rolled lead is an important product for the construction industry, used mainly for (...)

The Indian Competition Authority finds four automotive and industrial bearing companies liable for price-fixing and issues a cease and desist against collusive behaviour (Schaeffler / SKF / NEI / Tata)
Trilegal (Mumbai)
India 3 contributions 3460 visits
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Trilegal (Mumbai)
India 8 contributions 6113 visits
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Trilegal (Mumbai)
India 8 contributions 6113 visits
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) recently found National Engineering Industries Ltd. (NEI), Schaeffler India Ltd. (Schaeffler), SKF India Ltd. (SKF) and Tata Steel Ltd., Bearing Division (Tata) (collectively, OPs) to have collusively fixed the prices of automotive and industrial (...)

The Mexican Competition Authority opens a public consultation on draft modifications to the guidelines for the exchange of information between economic agents
Mexican Competition Authority (Mexico City)
Mexico 120 contributions 23964 visits
Public Consultation on the Draft Modifications to the Guidelines for the Exchange of Information Between Economic Agents* Pursuant to articles 28, paragraphs 14th and 20th, section VI, of the Political Constitution of the United Mexican States; articles 12, section XXII, last paragraph, (...)

The Dutch Competition Authority fines a cigarette manufacturer for hub-and-spoke cartel (British American Tobacco International / JT International Company Netherlands / Philip Morris / Van Nelle Tabak Nederland)
Bird & Bird (The Hague)
Netherlands 7 contributions 3273 visits
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KPN (Amsterdam)
Belgium 33 contributions 6699 visits
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Bird & Bird (The Hague)
Netherlands 11 contributions 4585 visits
On 27 May 2020, the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets ("ACM") imposed a fine of € 82 million on four cigarette manufacturers for indirect information exchanges in violation of Article 101 TFEU and 6 Dutch Competition Act. It is the first fine ACM has given for indirect information (...)

The UK Parliament adopts a dairy produce order which aims at relaxing UK competition law on certain aspects of cooperation between dairy suppliers and service producers to deal with the issues in the supply chain caused by the COVID-19 pandemic Free
Morgan Lewis (London)
United Kingdom 28 contributions 15864 visits
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Morgan Lewis (London)
United Kingdom 24 contributions 8953 visits
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Morgan Lewis (London)
United Kingdom 3 contributions 634 visits
The UK Parliament on May 1 adopted the Dairy Produce Order, which temporarily relaxes the application of UK competition law to certain types of cooperation between either dairy produce suppliers or logistic service providers to address issues in the supply chain caused by the ongoing (...)

The UK Government’s dairy produce order which relaxes the application of competition law in the dairy sector during COVID-19 pandemic has expired Free
Morgan Lewis (London)
United Kingdom 28 contributions 15864 visits
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Morgan Lewis (London)
United Kingdom 24 contributions 8953 visits
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Morgan Lewis (London)
United Kingdom 3 contributions 634 visits
The UK government’s Dairy Produce Order of May 1, 2020, which temporarily relaxed the application of UK competition law to certain types of cooperation in the dairy sector between dairy produce suppliers or dairy logistic service providers during the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, (...)

The Australian Competition Authority grants interim authorisation allowing retailers to collectively bargain with landlords about rent relief during the current COVID-19 outbreak Free
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (Canberra)
Australia 352 contributions 74428 visits
RETAILERS GRANTED AUTHORISATION TO COLLECTIVELY NEGOTIATE WITH LANDLORDS* The ACCC has granted interim authorisation allowing retailers to collectively bargain with landlords about rent relief during the COVID-19 pandemic. The interim authorisation, granted to the Australian Retailers (...)

The US DoJ allows an association of competing production companies to operate an online platform for offering their services with safeguards in place to avoid potential for anticompetitive conduct (Association of Independent Commercial Producers)
US Department of Justice (Washington DC)
United States 145 contributions 57769 visits
Justice Department Issues Business Review Letter to the Association of Independent Commercial Producers* The Department of Justice announced today that it will not challenge a proposal by the Association of Independent Commercial Producers (AICP) to operate an online platform for advertisers (...)

The Lithuanian Competition Authority opens an investigation into a suspected anticompetitive agreement among a national basketball league and individual basketball clubs and warns similar agreements are not justified by the COVID-19 pandemic (Lietuvos krepšinio lyga) Free
Lithuanian Competition Authority (Vilnius)
Lithuania 99 contributions 18343 visits
KONKURENCIJOS TARYBA LAUNCHES INVESTIGATION INTO SUSPECTED ANTI-COMPETITIVE AGREEMENT AMONG LITHUANIAN BASKETBALL LEAGUE AND BASKETBALL CLUBS* The Lithuanian competition authority Konkurencijos taryba has launched an investigation into a suspected anti-competitive agreement among the (...)

The Chilean Supreme Court upholds a landmark decision by the Competition Tribunal condemning the country’s three largest supermarkets for conspiracy in fixing minimum resale prices of poultry (Walmart / Cencosud / SMU)
Garrigues (Provincia)
Chile 1 contribution 313 visits
The Chilean Supreme Court recently upheld a landmark decision by the Competition Tribunal (“TDLC”) in Fiscalía Nacional Económica en contra de Cencosud S.A. y otras, Rol C-304-2016, condemning the country’s three largest supermarkets chains for having engaged in a conspiracy to fix minimum resale (...)

The EU Commission publishes its first comfort letter to foster cooperation among businesses in the pharmaceutical sector during COVID-19 pandemic Free
Morgan Lewis (London)
United Kingdom 24 contributions 8953 visits
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Morgan, Lewis, & Bockius (Brussels)
Belgium 9 contributions 3535 visits
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Morgan, Lewis, & Bockius (Brussels)
Belgium 5 contributions 2413 visits
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The European Commission published its first comfort letter in nearly 20 years on April 29, in an effort to foster cooperation among businesses during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Here is what companies should know about the specific practices permitted under the comfort letter, as well (...)

The Hong Kong Competition Authority launches a public consultation on the commitments offered by three online travel agents to remove certain parity clauses in their contracts with accommodation providers (Booking.com / Expedia / Trip.com)
Hogan Lovells (Hong Kong)
Hong Kong 4 contributions 1277 visits
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Hogan Lovells (Beijing)
China 76 contributions 18250 visits
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Hogan Lovells (Hong Kong)
Hong Kong 3 contributions 1171 visits
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On 31 March 2020 the Hong Kong Competition Commission (HKCC) commenced a public consultation on the commitments offered by three online travel agents (OTAs) to remove certain parity clauses in their existing and future contracts with accommodation providers in Hong Kong. The consultation period (...)

The Mexican Competition Authority warns the national association of real estate developers to avoid possible agreements between competitors during the COVID-19 pandemic (ADI Mexico) Free
Mexican Competition Authority (Mexico City)
Mexico 120 contributions 23964 visits
COFECE warns the National Association of Real Estate Developers to avoid possible agreements between competitors in this market* The Association has promoted among its members the granting of discounts to tenants, which could infringe the LFCE if these discounts are established or fixed (...)

The UK Government publishes an order that excludes certain arrangements in the healthcare sector from the Competition Act to tackle COVID-19 pressures Free
Hill Dickinson (Leeds)
United Kingdom 1 contribution 187 visits
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Hill Dickinson (London)
United Kingdom 1 contribution 187 visits
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Hill Dickinson (Leeds)
United Kingdom 1 contribution 187 visits
Healthcare providers - suspension of competition law provisions to tackle coronavirus pressures* To ensure that healthcare providers can work together effectively to tackle the coronavirus pandemic, an order has been made to exclude certain arrangements within the healthcare sector from (...)

The French Competition Authority imposes fines totalling €462,000 on five moving companies operating in the French overseas territories for colluding in the provision of moving services to the French Army (AGS Réunion / Océan Indien / DEM Austral Transdem / T2M)
Van Bael & Bellis (Brussels)
Belgium 379 contributions 88806 visits
On 23 March 2020, the French Competition Authority (“FCA”) imposed fines totalling € 462,000 on five moving companies operating in the French overseas territory of Réunion for having colluded in the provision of moving services to the French army between Réunion and the French mainland. The (...)

The UK Government and the Competition Authority adopt two recent measures against shortages and high prices during the COVID-19 outbreak Free
Greenberg Traurig (London)
United Kingdom 3 contributions 3202 visits
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United Kingdom’s Competition Authority (CMA) (London)
United Kingdom 1 contribution 536 visits
The rapid spread of COVID-19 in the United Kingdom and the measures being implemented to counter the disease have resulted in an unprecedented surge of consumer demand for groceries and other essential supplies. Safeguarding consumers against shortages and high prices is at the heart of two (...)

The UK Government and the Competition Authority announce they will formally waive UK competition law for a limited period to allow supermarket retailers to share data on stock levels Free
McGuireWoods (London)
United Kingdom 1 contribution 723 visits
All companies are scrambling to respond to the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic and in various sectors cooperation between competitors is seen as part of the solution. However, cooperation — or in some cases contact or information exchange — between competitors potentially raises (...)

The UK Government announces measures to allow supermarkets to work together to feed the nation during the COVID-19 outbreak Free
Morgan Lewis (London)
United Kingdom 24 contributions 8953 visits
The UK government announced on March 19 that as part of a package of measures to allow supermarkets to work together to feed the nation during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, elements of competition law will be temporarily relaxed for the food sector. Authorities, however, stressed that (...)

The Mexican Competition Authority issues its new regulatory provisions of the leniency and immunity program
Mexican Competition Authority (Mexico City)
Mexico 120 contributions 23964 visits
COFECE issues Regulatory Provisions of the Leniency and Immunity Program* The Regulatory Provisions are legally binding and aimed at providing tat providing greater legal certainty on procedures related to the Leniency and Immunity Program Mexico City, March 4, 2020.- The Mexican Federal (...)

The UK Competition Appeal Tribunal rules on which part of the EU Commission’s settlement decision is binding on a defendant and that it is an abuse of process for defendants to deny in follow-on damages claims the findings that are contained in settlements (Trucks Cartel)
Hausfeld (London)
United Kingdom 1 contribution 243 visits
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Hausfeld (London)
United Kingdom 2 contributions 316 visits
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Ashurst (London)
United Kingdom 7 contributions 3100 visits
In an important judgment for follow- on damages claims, the Competition Appeal Tribunal has ruled that a number of findings made by the European Commission in its Trucks ‘settlement’ Decision are binding on the defendants and the Tribunal; and that, subject to limited exceptions, it is an abuse (...)

The UK Competition Authority closes its pharma probe by fining 4 companies more than £3.4 million and requiring a payment of £1 million directly to the NHS for breaches of competition law in relation to the supply of an antidepressant (King Pharmaceuticals / Accord-UK / Lexon / Alissa Healthcare Research)
United Kingdom’s Competition Authority (CMA) (London)
United Kingdom 338 contributions 86419 visits
Over £3m in fines and £1m for NHS in CMA pharma probe* Following an investigation, the CMA has found that 4 pharmaceutical companies broke competition law in relation to the supply of an antidepressant. The probe by the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) into the supply of nortriptyline, a (...)

The UK Competition Authority fines four pharmaceutical companies a total of £3.4 million for breaching competition law in relation to the supply of the antidepressant drug for market sharing and exchanging sensitive information (King Pharmaceuticals / Accord-UK / Lexon / Alissa Healthcare Research)
Van Bael & Bellis (Brussels)
Belgium 379 contributions 88806 visits
On 4 March 2020, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (“CMA”) fined four pharmaceutical companies a total of £ 3.4 million for breaching competition law in relation to the supply of the antidepressant drug nortriptyline. The companies involved in the infringement were King Pharmaceuticals, (...)

The Peruvian Competition Authority initiates a proceeding against construction companies and their executives for bid-rigging in the construction sector (Altesa Contratistas Generales)
Peruvian Competition Authority - INDECOPI (Lima)
Peru 8 contributions 1872 visits
Indecopi has initiated an administrative sanctioning proceeding against 35 construction companies and 28 of their executives for an alleged liability of participating in bid rigging in 112 public tenders nationwide in the construction sector* The 112 tenders were convened by the Ministry of (...)

The Indian Competition Authority rules that the conduct of a bidder who hires proxy bidders is not anti-competitive (Plasser / Harbour Sales)
National University of Study and Research in Law (Ranchi)
3 contributions 862 visits
Recently, Competition Commission of India (CCI) in the case of Plasser India v. Harbour Sales Private Limited., (Plasser India case) decided that a mere possibility of potential collusion based on common ownership of agents in a bid does not show anti-competitive conduct thereby not leading to (...)

The Italian Council of State reverses a banking cartel decision on account of the negligible competition impact (Raiffeisen)
Giannino SI (Monserrato)
Italy 154 contributions 129430 visits
Determining the appeal claims lodged in the Raiffeisen case, the highest administrative court or Council of State (hereinafter the Court) has reversed a previous infringement decision made by the Italian Competition Authority (ICA). The Court found that the contested restrictive business (...)

The Danish High Court fines two companies for bid rigging in the construction sector (Jorton / H. Skjøde Knudsen)
Danish Competition and Consumer Authority (Copenhagen)
Denmark 125 contributions 34082 visits
THE HIGHT COURT FINES TWO CONSTRUCTION COMPANIES FOR BID RIGGING * The High Court has fined the construction companies Jorton A/S and H. Skjøde Knudsen A/S respectively DKK 3,000,000 (€ 401,442) and DKK 267,628 (€ XXX) for bid rigging. Two members of the managements were fined respectively DKK (...)

The Danish High Court finds two companies guilty of exchanging prices and coordinating tenders on several construction contracts (Jorton / Skjøde Knudsen)
Bird & Bird (Copenhagen)
Denmark 36 contributions 7021 visits
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Bird & Bird (Copenhagen)
Denmark 23 contributions 2224 visits
On 7 January 2020, the Danish High Court (“High Court”) found the two construction groups, Jorton A/S and H. Skjøde Knudsen A/S, guilty of having infringed the Danish Competition Act by exchanging prices and coordinating tenders on several construction contracts. The High Court found that the two (...)

The Hungarian Competition Authority fines undertakings €4.8 million for sharing EU-funded public procurement tenders for diagnostic imaging equipment (GE Hungary / Premier G / Euromedic Technology)
Bird & Bird (Budapest)
Hungary 18 contributions 2042 visits
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Bird & Bird (Budapest)
Hungary 16 contributions 1821 visits
The Hungarian Competition Authority (’’GVH’’) fined several undertakings which were found to have shared amongst themselves the EU-funded public procurement tenders for diagnostic imaging (MRI, CT and X-ray) equipment in Hungary in 2015. The total fine amounts to EUR 4.8 million, with GE Hungary (...)

The Spanish Competition Authority opens investigation into potential anticompetitive practices in the maritime transport of passengers and vehicles in the South of Spain (Algeciras / Ceuta)
European Commission (Brussels)
Belgium 45 contributions 20017 visits
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Gómez-Acebo & Pombo (Brussels)
Belgium 51 contributions 26978 visits
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Basic-Fit (Hoofddorp)
Netherlands 45 contributions 19992 visits
The Spanish Competition and Markets Authority, CNMC, is investigating whether a number of companies active in maritime transport between Algeciras and Ceuta may be in breach of article 1 of the Spanish Competition Act (‘LDC’) and article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (‘TFEU’). (...)

The French Competition Authority fines meal vouchers issuers for exchanging information, market sharing, and price-fixing (Edenred France / Up / Natixis Intertitres / Sodexo Pass France)
French Competition Authority (Paris)
France 709 contributions 361177 visits
The Autorité de la concurrence fines the four historical meal vouchers issuers for a total of nearly 415 M€, for anticompetitive practices* Background The Autorité has been informed of anti-competitive practices in the meal vouchers sector by the company Octoplus (Resto Flash), which offers a (...)

The German Competition Authority fines steel manufacturers for collusion and exchange of sensitive information (Ilsenburger / Thyssenkrupp Steel / Voestalpine)
Van Bael & Bellis (Brussels)
Belgium 379 contributions 88806 visits
According to a press release of the German Federal Cartel Office (“FCO”) dated 12 December 2019, the FCO fined steel manufacturers ThyssenKrupp, Ilsenburger Grobblech and Voestalpine Grobblech, as well as three individuals, a total amount of approximately € 646 million for exchanging sensitive (...)

The Turkish Council of State rejects an appeal request made by a cement producer concerning the Regional Administrative Court’s decision which imposed a monetary fine for engaging in concerted practices with its competitors, increasing prices and territorial allocation (Batısöke)
ELIG Gürkaynak Attorneys-at-Law (Istanbul)
Turkey 150 contributions 69327 visits
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ELIG Gürkaynak Attorneys-at-Law (Istanbul)
Turkey 10 contributions 4317 visits
This case summary includes an analysis of 13th Chamber of the Council of State’s (“Council of State”) decision (E. 2019/1035, K. 2019/4253, 11.12.2019) concerning the last stop of the judicial review. In the judicial review process, Batisöke Söke Çimento Sanayii T.A.Ş. (“Batısöke”) filed to annul (...)

The German Competition Authority fines car makers for steel purchasing cartel (BMW / Daimler / Volkswagen)
Van Bael & Bellis (Brussels)
Belgium 379 contributions 88806 visits
According to a press release of the German Federal Cartel Office (“FCO”) dated 21 November 2019, car manufacturers BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen were fined a total amount of approximately € 100 million for their involvement in a steel purchasing cartel between 2004 and 2013. The anticompetitive (...)

The German Competition Authority fines €100 million three car manufacturers for joint anti-competitive practices concerning the purchase of long steel products (BMW / Daimler / Volkswagen)
Ashurst (Frankfurt)
Germany 15 contributions 3989 visits
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Ashurst (Munich)
Germany 1 contribution 67 visits
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Ashurst (Munich)
Germany 9 contributions 1631 visits
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On 21 November 2019, the German Federal Cartel Office ("FCO") issued fines totalling approximately €100 million on BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen for joint anti-competitive practices concerning the purchase of long-steel products. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW - KEY TAKEAWAYS In 2018, the FCO imposed (...)

The UK Competition Authority fines three construction companies for price-fixing, market sharing, and exchange of information (Stanton Bonna Concrete / CPM / FP McCann)
United Kingdom’s Competition Authority (CMA) (London)
United Kingdom 338 contributions 86419 visits
Construction firms fined £36 million for breaking competition law* The CMA has issued 3 firms with fines totalling more than £36 million for breaking competition law in supplying certain concrete drainage products for building projects. Following an investigation by the Competition and Markets (...)

The Hong Kong Competition Authority clarifies its approach to information exchange in a case involving the pharmaceutical sector (Hong Kong Association of the Pharmaceutical Industry)
Linklaters (Hong Kong)
Hong Kong 10 contributions 8283 visits
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Linklaters (Hong Kong)
Hong Kong 1 contribution 75 visits
This article has been nominated for the 2020 Antitrust Writing Awards. Click here to learn more about the Antitrust Writing Awards. The Hong Kong Competition Commission (“HKCC”) recently published its decision relating to a proposed market sales survey by the Hong Kong Association of the (...)

The Brazilian Competition Authority recommends closing an administrative inquiry that investigates potential anticompetitive conduct in the transmission of sensitive information among competitors in the payment market
Vinicius Marques de Carvalho Advogados (VMCA) (Sao Paulo)
1 contribution 223 visits
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Vinicius Marques de Carvalho Advogados (VMCA) (Sao Paulo)
Brazil 9 contributions 2732 visits
On October 14, CADE’s General Superintendence (GS) recommended closing an administrative inquiry investigating potential anticompetitive conduct. Such conduct consisted of the transmission of sensitive information among competitors in the payments market. More specifically, the investigation (...)

The Belgian Competition Authority issues a guide on the exchange of information in the framework of professional association
Belgian Competition Authority (Brussels)
Belgium 83 contributions 19819 visits
Guide on the exchange of information in the framework of professional association* After completing the public consultations, the Board of the Belgian Competition Authority (BCA) has adopted on the 1st of October 2019 a guide on the exchange of information in the framework of professional (...)

The Belgian Competition Authority publishes a guide which sets out the principles of exchanging information between competitors and how it applies to associations of undertakings
Allen & Overy (Brussels)
Belgium 28 contributions 3016 visits
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Bird & Bird (Brussels)
Belgium 42 contributions 11341 visits
On 1 October 2019, the Belgian Competition Authority published a Guide on the "Exchange of Information in the framework of Associations of Undertakings". The Guide sets out the main principles of exchanging information between competitors and how they apply to associations of undertakings, and (...)

The Portuguese Competition Authority fines 14 banks for exchange of information
Portuguese Competition Authority (Lisbon)
Portugal 106 contributions 25993 visits
AdC imposes a fine of 225 million euros to 14 banks The Portuguese Competition Authority (Autoridade da Concorrência - AdC) fined 14 banks in the total amount of 225 million euros in connection with the concerted practice of exchanging sensitive commercial data, during a period of more than ten (...)

The Danish Competition Authority informs that an association of camera distributors accepts fine for price coordination and information exchange (Team DS)
Danish Competition and Consumer Authority (Copenhagen)
Denmark 125 contributions 34082 visits
Denmark: ”Team DS a.m.b.a., Denmark, accepts fine for price coordination and information exchange”* On 6 August 2019, the Danish association of camera distributors Team DS a.m.b.a. accepted to pay a fine of DKK 1,300,000 (€ 174,300) for coordination of prices and information exchange between the (...)

The Danish Competition Authority fines an association for photo dealers for illegal price coordination and exchange of information (Team DS)
Bird & Bird (Copenhagen)
Denmark 36 contributions 7021 visits
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Bird & Bird (Copenhagen)
Denmark 23 contributions 2224 visits
The Danish purchasing association for photo dealers, Team DS, has accepted a fine consisting of DKK 1.3 million for infringing the Danish Competition Act by coordinating prices and illegal information exchange. In addition to the imposition of a fine on the association itself, a fine of DKK (...)

The Indian Competition Authority fines companies for bid-rigging in a tender for a tree census provider (Nagrik Chetna Manch / SAAR / CADD / Pentacle / Pune)
Trilegal (Mumbai)
India 8 contributions 6113 visits
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Trilegal (Bangalore)
India 5 contributions 3535 visits
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Trilegal (Mumbai)
India 8 contributions 6113 visits
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) recently found that SAAR IT Resources Private Limited (OP 1), CADD Systems and Services Private Limited (OP 2) and Pentacle Consultants (I) Private Limited (OP 3), collusively manipulated the process of bidding, by rigging the bids for the tender (...)

The Spanish Competition Authority fines eight companies that operate in the raw milk market for entering into an anticompetitive information exchange agreement (Industrias Lácteas 2)
Callol, Coca & Asociados (Madrid)
Spain 161 contributions 43441 visits
On 12 July 2019, the CNMC found that the main milk producers had entered into anticompetitive information exchanges (at the national and regional level) on raw cow milk purchase prices and volumes purchased from farmers and milk suppliers. Altogether, the fines amount to €80.6 million. The said (...)

The Spanish Competition Authority publishes a new ruling on the dairy sector cartel and imposes fines on companies and two trade associations amounting to €80.6 million (Industrias Làcteas 2)
CMS Albiñana y Suárez de Lezo (Madrid)
Spain 2 contributions 411 visits
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CMS Albiñana y Suárez de Lezo (Madrid)
Spain 12 contributions 3046 visits
On 26 February 2015, the Spanish Competition Authority (“CNMC”) handed nine companies and two trade associations that operated in the dairy sector fines of EUR 88 million. These fines were annulled by the Spanish High Court in October/November 2018 after the Spanish Supreme Court declared that a (...)

The Spanish Competition Authority fines eight milk dairy companies and two industry associations for exchanging sensitive commercial information (Industrias Lacteas 2)
Bird & Bird (Madrid)
Spain 29 contributions 4149 visits
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Ecija & Asociados (Madrid)
Spain 20 contributions 1937 visits
On 11 July 2019, the Spanish Competition Authority ("CNMC") fined eight dairy companies and two industry associations with a total of €80,657,617 for infringing Article 1 of the Spanish Competition Act ("LDC") and Article 101 of the TFEU. The alleged anticompetitive practices took place in the (...)

The Turkish Competition Authority grants an exemption to an electronic refuel and information system bringing together fuel distributors and end-users in a two-sided market (Platform Aracılık / Danışmanlık)
ELIG Gürkaynak Attorneys-at-Law (Istanbul)
Turkey 150 contributions 69327 visits
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Kia (Frankfurt)
Germany 6 contributions 2522 visits
Background The Turkish Competition Board (“Board”) has recently published its reasoned decision on an exemption application by Platform Aracılık ve Danışmanlık Ltd. Şti. (“Platform Aracılık”) regarding its sample agreements (hereinafter referred to as the “Agreement”) with five fuel distributors (“Fuel (...)

The UK Competition Authority provisionally finds that four pharmaceutical companies broke competition law by fixing the quantities and the prices of an anti-depressant drug (Auden Mckenzie / King / Alissa / Lexon)
United Kingdom’s Competition Authority (CMA) (London)
United Kingdom 338 contributions 86419 visits
Suppliers of antidepressants accused of illegal anti-competitive conduct* The CMA has provisionally found that 4 pharmaceutical companies broke competition law in relation to the supply of an anti-depressant drug. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has accused competitors King and (...)

The Spanish Competition Authority fines non-university textbook publishers and an association for allegedly creating a mechanism to coordinate commercial policies and terms and conditions of trade (ANELE)
Callol, Coca & Asociados (Madrid)
Spain 161 contributions 43441 visits
The NMCC has declared that the association ANELE and all the publishers under investigation have breached Article 1 SCA and Article 101 TFEU, in relation to (i) the adoption and implementation of ANELE’S Code of Conduct (CoC), which restricted promotional activities; and (ii) digital books, due (...)

The Spanish Competition Authority fines €33.88 million publishing houses and an association for the application of a mechanism to restrict trade policies and commercial conditions (ANELE)
Bird & Bird (Madrid)
Spain 29 contributions 4149 visits
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Ecija & Asociados (Madrid)
Spain 20 contributions 1937 visits
On 30 May 2019, the Spanish Competition Authority ("CNMC") imposed a total fine of 33.88 million EUR on the National Association of Text Books and Teaching Materials Publishers ("ANELE") and 34 publishing houses for the application of a mechanism to restrict trade policies and commercial (...)

The Spanish Supreme Court confirms the Competition Authority’s decision in fining a company for agreements and exchange of strategic information on prices (Repsol)
European Commission (Brussels)
Belgium 45 contributions 20017 visits
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Gómez-Acebo & Pombo (Brussels)
Belgium 51 contributions 26978 visits
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Basic-Fit (Hoofddorp)
Netherlands 45 contributions 19992 visits
The Spanish Supreme Court has confirmed the penalty against Repsol for anticompetitive practices consisting in agreements and exchange of strategic information on the prices of fuel in Spain. In the judgement, the Supreme Court has upheld the claims of the State Attorney (central government (...)

The EU Commission imposes a fine of €1.07 billion on five banks for participating in two foreign exchange spot trading cartels in the banking sector (Barclays / RBS / Citigroup / JPMorgan / MUFG)
Bird & Bird (Brussels)
Belgium 42 contributions 11341 visits
On 16 May 2019, in two settlement decisions, the European Commission ("EC") has fined Barclays, RBS, Citigroup, JPMorgan and MUFG 1.07 billion EUR for participating in two foreign exchange spot trading cartels (see EC press release here). “Foreign exchange spot-trading activities are one of the (...)

The EU Commission fines five banks for participating in foreign exchange spot trading cartel (Barclays / RBS / Citigroup / JPMorgan / MUFG)
European Commission - DG COMP (Brussels)
Belgium 1229 contributions 2520261 visits
Antitrust: Commission fines Barclays, RBS, Citigroup, JPMorgan and MUFG €1.07 billion for participating in foreign exchange spot trading cartel* In two settlement decisions, the European Commission has fined five banks for taking part in two cartels in the Spot Foreign Exchange market for 11 (...)

The EU Commission imposes fines totaling over €1 billion on banks for their involvement in two separate cartels in the spot foreign exchange markets (Barclays / RBS / Citigroup / JPMorgan / MUFG)
Van Bael & Bellis (Brussels)
Belgium 379 contributions 88806 visits
On 16 May 2019, the European Commission adopted two decisions under its cartel settlement procedure, in which it imposed fines totalling € 1.07 billion on five banks for their involvement in two separate cartels on the spot foreign exchange markets for eleven currencies. The banks involved in (...)

The Danish City Court of Hillerod fines a demolition company for exchanging prices with a competing company in four cases (Nedrivningsaktieselskabet J. Jensen)
Danish Competition and Consumer Authority (Copenhagen)
Denmark 125 contributions 34082 visits
Denmark: Demolition Company fined DKK 1 million in bid rigging case* The City Court of Hillerød has fined the demolition company Nedrivningsaktieselskabet J. Jensen DKK 1 million for exchanging prices with a competing demolition company in four cases. Moreover, the City Court fined two members (...)

The Estonian Competition Authority opens criminal proceedings to investigate a possible restriction of competition in the agricultural equipment market
Estonian Competition Authority (Tallinn)
Estonia 9 contributions 1098 visits
Authority conducts criminal proceedings for investigating a possible restriction of competition in companies selling agricultural equipment* In the framework of a criminal case concerning a possible restriction of competition, the Competition Authority carried out searches at the premises of (...)

The Spanish Competition Authority fines €57.71 million three tobacco companies and their distributor for participating in an exchange of commercially sensitive information (Philip Morris / Altadis / JT international)
Bird & Bird (Madrid)
Spain 29 contributions 4149 visits
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Ecija & Asociados (Madrid)
Spain 20 contributions 1937 visits
On 10 April 2019, the Spanish Competition Authority ("CNMC") fined three of the world’s largest tobacco companies - Philip Morris, Altadis and JT International – and their common distributor, Logista – with 57.71 million EUR for participating in an exchange of commercially sensitive information in (...)

The Spanish Competition Commission fines tobacco manufacturers for an anticompetitive exchange of strategic information (Philip Morris / Altadis / JT International Iberia / Logista)
Callol, Coca & Asociados (Madrid)
Spain 161 contributions 43441 visits
The Spanish National Markets and Competition Commission (NMCC) has fined Spain’s main tobacco manufacturers, Philip Morris, Altadis, JT International Iberia, as well as wholesaler Logista for an anticompetitive exchange of strategic information. Logista facilitated immediate access to its daily (...)

The Spanish Supreme Court declares that members of governing bodies of companies may be penalised for competition law infringements and that their identity can be revealed (Infraestructuras Ferroviarias)
Herbert Smith Freehills (Madrid)
Spain 20 contributions 31258 visits
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Herbert Smith Freehills (Madrid)
Spain 10 contributions 1842 visits
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Herbert Smith Freehills (Madrid)
Spain 4 contributions 602 visits
In its judgment dated 9 April 2019, the Spanish Supreme Court (the ’SC’) found that the members of the governing bodies of undertakings that infringe competition rules can be penalised for their participation in those infringements regardless of the individual or collegiate nature of the (...)

The Turkish Competition Authority finds exchange of informations and supply restrictions from nine undertakings during an investigation in the Poultry sector (Investigation in the Poultry Sector)
ACTECON (Istanbul)
Turkey 23 contributions 8473 visits
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Balcıoğlu Selçuk Akman Keki (BASEAK) (Istanbul)
Turkey 13 contributions 4021 visits
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ACTECON (Istanbul)
Turkey 15 contributions 2981 visits
The Turkish Competition Authority (“TCA”) has concluded its full-fledged investigation regarding a total of 20 undertakings operating in the poultry sector. In its decision dated 13.03.2019 and numbered 19-12/155-70, the TCA held that the following 9 undertakings violated Article 4 of the Law No. (...)

The Turkish Competition Authority initiales a full-fledged investigation on the Turkish poultry sector and concludes that sector specific justifications are not enough to prevent violations (BESDBIR)
Balcıoğlu Selçuk Akman Keki (BASEAK) (Istanbul)
Turkey 1 contribution 78 visits
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Balcıoğlu Selçuk Akman Keki (BASEAK) (Istanbul)
Turkey 1 contribution 78 visits
ASSESSMENT OF INFORMATION EXCHANGE FINES UNDER TURKISH COMPETITION LAW REGIME: SECTOR SPECIFIC JUSTIFICATIONS MAY NOT BE ENOUGH TO PREVENT THE VIOLATIONS !* Competition law, at its core, is a case law based practice. The natural habitat of enforcement for competition rules is the consolidation (...)

The Danish Competition Authority fines several plumbing companies and three managers for bid-rigging (Christoffersen & Knudsen)
Danish Competition and Consumer Authority (Copenhagen)
Denmark 125 contributions 34082 visits
Plumbing company and management members from several plumbing companies pay fines in settlements for bid rigging* The plumbing company Christoffersen & Knudsen A/S and three members from the management in this and two other plumbing companies have entered into settlements with the Danish (...)

The Danish Competition Authority fines plumbing companies for entering into a cartel agreement (Christoffersen & Knudsen / Sanoterm)
Bird & Bird (Copenhagen)
Denmark 36 contributions 7021 visits
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Bird & Bird (Copenhagen)
Denmark 23 contributions 2224 visits
On 7 March 2019, a Danish plumbing company (Christoffersen & Knudsen A/S) was fined DKK 575,000 (€ 77,000) by the Danish State Prosecutor for Serious Economic and International Crime for entering into a cartel agreement with their competitor (Sanoterm Danmark A/S). In the same case complex, (...)

The EU Commission imposes fines totalling € 368 million on car safety equipment suppliers in cartel settlement decision (Takata / Autoliv / TRW)
Van Bael & Bellis (Brussels)
Belgium 379 contributions 88806 visits
On 5 March 2019, the European Commission (the “Commission”) announced that it had imposed total fines of € 368,277,000 on two car safety equipment suppliers, Autoliv and TRW, for their involvement in two cartels concerning the supply of car seatbelts, airbags and steering wheels to European car (...)

The EU Commission fines car safety equipment suppliers € 368 million in cartel settlement for illegal information exchanges (Takata / Autoliv / TRW)
European Commission - DG COMP (Brussels)
Belgium 1229 contributions 2520261 visits
Antitrust: Commission fines car safety equipment suppliers € 368 million in cartel settlement* The European Commission has fined Autoliv and TRW a total of € 368 277 000 for breaching EU antitrust rules. Takata was not fined as it revealed the cartels to the Commission. The companies took part (...)

The UK FCA finds that three asset management firms breached competition law in the context of an initial public offering in the financial market through bilateral exchanges of confidential, strategic information regarding their bidding intentions (Hargreave / RAMAM / Newton)
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (London)
United Kingdom 1 contribution 61 visits
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Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (London)
United Kingdom 3 contributions 318 visits
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Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (London)
United Kingdom 3 contributions 3174 visits
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On 21 February 2019, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) issued a decision finding that three asset management firms breached competition law in the context of an initial public offering (IPO). This marks the FCA’s first formal decision under its competition law enforcement powers, which it (...)

The UK FCA makes the first use of its enforcement powers under competition law and in a landmark decision fines 3 asset managers for exchanging "strategic" information (Hargreave / Newton / RAMAM)
White & Case (London)
United Kingdom 22 contributions 11795 visits
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White & Case (Brussels)
Belgium 1 contribution 81 visits
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Stephenson Harwood
1 contribution 81 visits
This article has been nominated for the 2020 Antitrust Writing Awards. Click here to learn more about the Antitrust Writing Awards. Summary In a landmark decision on 21 February 2019 (the “Decision”), marking the first use of its enforcement powers under the Competition Act 1998 (“CA 1998”), (...)

The UK FCA issues its first formal decision under its competition law enforcement powers by fining three asset management firms in an IPO context (Hargreave / Newton / RAMAM)
Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (London)
United Kingdom 3 contributions 318 visits
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Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (London)
United Kingdom 3 contributions 3174 visits
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Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer (London)
United Kingdom 7 contributions 1244 visits
On 21 February 2019, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) issued a decision finding that three asset management firms breached competition law in the context of an initial public offering (IPO). This marks the FCA’s first formal decision under its competition law enforcement powers, which it (...)

The UK FCA issues its first antitrust decision and fines several companies for sharing strategic information during an initial public offering (Hargreave / Newton / RAMAM)
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (Brussels)
Belgium 51 contributions 21886 visits
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Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (Brussels)
Belgium 64 contributions 28937 visits
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Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom (Brussels)
Belgium 34 contributions 10700 visits
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The U.K. Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has issued its first antitrust decision since obtaining competition law powers four years ago. The decision is a controversial one. It sets the FCA up as a strict enforcer on the type of information that competing investors can share when making (...)

The UK FCA fines companies sharing strategic information on a bilateral basis during an initial public offering (Hargreave / Newton / RAMAM)
Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton (London)
United Kingdom 3 contributions 2678 visits
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Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton (London)
United Kingdom 30 contributions 35097 visits
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Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton (London)
United Kingdom 21 contributions 6744 visits
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This article has been nominated for the 2020 Antitrust Writing Awards. Click here to learn more about the Antitrust Writing Awards. On 21 February, the UK Financial Conduct Authority (the “FCA”) found that Hargreave Hale Ltd (“Hargreave Hale”), Newton Investment Management Limited (“Newton”), and (...)

The UK Court of Appeal upholds the UK Competition Authority’s fining and confirms that a single exchange of pricing information is sufficient for a "by object" infringement (Balmoral Tanks)
Baker Botts (Brussels)
Belgium 25 contributions 17685 visits
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Baker Botts (Brussels)
Belgium 9 contributions 6705 visits
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Baker Botts (London)
United Kingdom 9 contributions 2338 visits
ONE-TIME INFORMATION EXCHANGE SUFFICIENT – A RECENT REMINDER IN THE UK* The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (“CMA”) recently welcomed the Court of Appeal’s dismissal of a challenge brought against a decision of the Competition Appeal Tribunal (“CAT”) by Balmoral, a supplier of steel water (...)

The Italian Competition Authority finds two anti-competitive agreements in the market for the provision of fire prevention services (Wood Firefighting Services)
Giannino SI (Monserrato)
Italy 154 contributions 129430 visits
In the recent Wood Fire Service case, the Italian Competition Authority (ICA) has found two anti-competitive agreements put in place by several players in the market for the provision of wood fire prevention services. The first anti-competitive agreement took the shape of a bid rigging practice (...)

The Danish City Court of Hellirød fines competing demolition companies for bid-rigging through exchanging prices (Nedrivning)
Bird & Bird (Copenhagen)
Denmark 36 contributions 7021 visits
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Bird & Bird (Copenhagen)
Denmark 23 contributions 2224 visits
On 8 February 2019, the City Court of Hillerød concluded that CMP Nedrivning ApS (a Danish demolition company) had violated section 6 of the Danish Competition Act (corresponding to Article 101 TFEU) by coordinating prices with competing demolition companies. The company was found to be part of (...)

The Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore fines hotels for exchanging commercially sensitive information (Capri / Village Hotels / Crowne Plaza)
Baker McKenzie (Singapore)
Singapore 5 contributions 2749 visits
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Baker McKenzie (Singapore)
Singapore 3 contributions 2233 visits
Finding of Single Economic Entity in the Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore’s infringement decision against 4 competing hotels for the exchange of commercially sensitive corporate customer information between competing hotels in Singapore. On 30 January 2019, the CCCS issued its (...)

The Indian Competition Authority fines 2 sellers of dry cell batteries for participating in bilateral "ancillary" cartel from the standpoint of consumers (Panasonic / Godrej / Boyce)
Vaish Associates Advocates (New Delhi)
India 263 contributions 40036 visits
CCI imposes penalty on Godrej and Boyce for being a member of bilateral “ancillary” cartel* The Competition Commission of India (“CCI/ Commission”), by way of order dated 15.01.2019, has imposed a penalty of INR 85,01,364/-on Godrej and Boyce manufacturing Co. Limited (“Godrej”) for acting in (...)

The Italian Government confirms that the Italian Competition Authority wrongly established a bid-rigging practice in the medical sector (Alliance / Siemens / Philips / Toshiba / AGCM)
Giannino SI (Monserrato)
Italy 154 contributions 129430 visits
By its recent judgment in Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scanners (MRI Scanners) the Italian Council of State uphold on appeal the judgement previously handed down by the Regional Administrative Court of Latium (TAR Latium). The TAR Latium set aside a decision made by the Italian Competition (...)

The Danish Competition Appeal Tribunal confirms fines imposed to members of an association of camera distributors for participating in anticompetitive agreements
Danish Competition and Consumer Authority (Copenhagen)
Denmark 125 contributions 34082 visits
Anti-competitive agreement/decision in an association of camera distributors* The Danish Competition Appeal Tribunal has upheld a decision taken by the Danish Competition Council (DCC) that a horizontal cooperation agreement/decision among more than 50 independent camera distributors, who are (...)

The EU Commission sends a statement of objection to four banks accused of collusion in the bond trading market
European Commission - DG COMP (Brussels)
Belgium 1229 contributions 2520261 visits
Antitrust: Commission sends Statement of Objections in US Dollar supra-sovereign, sovereign and agency bond trading cartel* The European Commission has informed four banks of its preliminary view that they have breached EU antitrust rules by colluding, in periods from 2009 to 2015, to distort (...)

The Italian Competition Authority finds a cartel in the market for car hire purchase and imposes a record fine of €670 million (Banca / Banque PSA / Santander Consumer Bank / BMW Bank)
Giannino SI (Monserrato)
Italy 154 contributions 129430 visits
In the Car Finance case the Italian Competition Authority (ICA) has levied a record-breaking fine of overall € 670 million on the participants to a secret cartel affecting the business sector of car hire purchase. The anticompetitive agreement was put in place by several car manufacturers, BMW, (...)

The Turkish Competition Authority determines whether members of the guard rails and road safety systems have violated article 4 of the Law No. 4054 on the Protection of Competition through collusive tendering and bid rigging (Çelik Otokorkuluk)
ELIG Gürkaynak Attorneys-at-Law (Istanbul)
Turkey 150 contributions 69343 visits
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ELIG Gürkaynak Attorneys-at-Law (Istanbul)
Turkey 11 contributions 2713 visits
This case note analyses the Turkish Competition Board’s (“Board”) decision of 22 November 2018 numbered 18-44/702-344 in which the Board assessed the allegations that several undertakings–which are all active in the steel guardrail sector in Turkey and members of the Turkish Association of Steel (...)

The US DoJ announces that three South Korean companies in the market of oil refiners and logistics agreed to plead guilty and to enter into a civil settlement for bid-rigging (SK Energy / GS Caltex / Hanjin Transportation)
Robert Connolly Law (Palm Springs)
21 contributions 4662 visits
DOD Bid Rigging Whistleblower and Related Antitrust Division Criminal Cases* Last week the Antitrust Division announced that three South Korean companies had agreed to plead guilty and to enter into civil settlements for rigging bids on United States Department of Defense Fuel Supply Contracts (...)

The US DoJ reaches settlement with six broadcast television companies and prohibits share of competitively sensitive information in the television spot advertising market (Sinclair Broadcast Group / Raycom Media / Tribune Media Company / Meredith Corporation / Griffin Communications / Dreamcatcher Broadcasting)
McDermott Will & Emery (Washington)
United States 10 contributions 1165 visits
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Crowell & Moring (Washington)
United States 16 contributions 2304 visits
THE LATEST: DOJ Reaches Settlement with Six Broadcast Television Companies* The Department of Justice (DOJ) and six broadcast television companies reached settlements last week after the DOJ claimed that the companies shared competitively sensitive information that allowed the parties to alter (...)

The Indian Competition Authority holds that information exchange is not a standalone violation of the Indian Competition Act (Flashlights cartel)
Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas (New Delhi)
India 60 contributions 16609 visits
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Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas (New Delhi)
India 63 contributions 17427 visits
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Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas (New Delhi)
India 66 contributions 18280 visits
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On 6 November 2018, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) found that four manufacturers/traders of flashlights and their trade association (the Opposite Parties) were not involved in cartelisation as, despite an information exchange, there was not enough corroborating evidence to suggest a (...)

The Indian Competition Authority exonerates parties from allegations of cartelization despite admission of coordination in the flashlight market (Eveready / Panasonic / Indo National / Geep / AIDCM)
Vaish Associates Advocates (New Delhi)
India 263 contributions 40036 visits
CCI holds that mere information exchange by itself is not anti-competitive, in spite of leniency applications filed* The Competition Commission of India (”CCI”) by way of an order dated November 6, 2018 has exonerated Eveready Industries India Limited (“Eveready”), Panasonic Energy India Co. Ltd. (...)

The Spanish Competition Authority examines possible price-fixing and other vertical restrictions in the animal health products market (Medicamentos Veterinarios)
CMS Albiñana y Suárez de Lezo (Madrid)
Spain 12 contributions 3046 visits
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CMS Albiñana y Suárez de Lezo (Madrid)
Spain 2 contributions 411 visits
Background On 16 September 2014, the National Association for Animal Health (“ASEMAZ-ASA”) filed a complaint before the Spanish Competition Authority (“CNMC”) against several companies active in the animal health products market (“the Companies”) for alleged anti-competitive practices in breach of (...)

The South African Competition Tribunal rejects a tender collusion allegation on the basis that the tender was a sham (Geometry / Vaxiprox)
Anheuser-Busch InBev (Leuven)
Belgium 4 contributions 3049 visits
The Competition Commission of South Africa (the Commission) sought an order from the Competition Tribunal of South Africa (the Tribunal) declaring that two brand activation companies (Geometry Global (Pty) Ltd (Geometry) and Vaxiprox (Pty) Ltd (Vaxiprox)) had colluded on a tender issued by a (...)

The French Supreme Court uses the EU Court of Justice framework to overturn a judgment issued in a cartel of endives producers (Endive cartel)
Niddam-Drouas Avocats (Paris)
France 6 contributions 892 visits
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Niddam-Drouas Avocats (Paris)
France 6 contributions 6332 visits
In the endive cartel case, the French Supreme Court (Cour de casssation) judgement issued 12 September 2018 analyses the relationship between competition law and EU agricultural rules. In its decision following a preliminary ruling issued by the European Court of Justice (ECJ), the Supreme (...)

The Indian Competition Authority fines seller of dry cell batteries for participating in bilateral "ancillary" cartel from the standpoint of consumers (Panasonic / Geep Industries India)
Vaish Associates Advocates (New Delhi)
India 263 contributions 40036 visits
Competition Commission of India (CCI) imposes penalty on Geep Industries for being a member of bilateral “ancillary” cartel* By way of order dated August 30, 2018, the CCI imposed a penalty of INR 9,64 06,682 (Nine crores sixty-four lakh six thousand six hundred and eight two) on Geep Industries (...)

The US FTC settles civil complaint regarding wage-fixing against a medical staffing agency (Your Therapy Source)
McDermott Will & Emery (Paris)
France 119 contributions 60785 visits
A recent settlement shows that the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will use its enforcement authority to target employer collusion in the labor market. What Happened The FTC brought a complaint against a medical staffing agency, Your Therapy Source, LLC, and the owner of a competing (...)

The Indian Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) upholds the Indian Competition Authority’s record fine imposed in the cement cartel case (Builders’ Association of India / Cement Manufacturers’ Association)
Vaish Associates Advocates (New Delhi)
India 263 contributions 40036 visits
NCLAT upholds the highest penalty imposed by CCI on cement cartel* The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) by way of a judgement dated 25 July 2018 has upheld the penalty imposed by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) on 11 cement companies for cartelization. The CCI in its (...)

The Indian Competition Authority dismisses cartel allegations against thirty-seven suppliers of signaling cables to national railways (North Western Railway / Rajasthan Transformers and Switchgears)
Vaish Associates Advocates (New Delhi)
India 263 contributions 40036 visits
CCI closes allegation of cartel against 37 suppliers of signaling cables to Indian Railways* The Competition Commission of India (CCI/Commission ) by way of an order dated 12 July 2018 rejected the findings of the Director General (DG) and closed the case against 37 signaling cable (...)

The German Competition Authority fines several steel companies for price-fixing and exchanging information (ArcelorMittal Commercial Long / Cologne / Dörrenberg Edelstahl / Engelskirchen Kind & Co. / Edelstahlwerke / Wiehl / Saarstahl / Völklingen / Schmidt + Clemens / Lindlar and Zapp Precision Metals / Schwerte)
German Competition Authority (Bonn)
Germany 422 contributions 106131 visits
Bundeskartellamt imposes first fines totalling approx. 205 million euros on special steel companies* The Bundeskartellamt has imposed fines totalling approx. 205 million euros on six special steel companies, a trade association and ten individuals for concluding price-fixing agreements and (...)

The Indian Competition Authority decides its fourth leniency and fines broadcasting service providers for bid-rigging in tenders floated by sports broadcasters (Essel Shyam Communication / Globecast India / Globecast Asia)
Vaish Associates Advocates (New Delhi)
India 263 contributions 40036 visits
CCI decides its fourth leniency, imposes penalty on broadcasting service providers for bid-rigging in tenders floated by Sports Broadcasters* By way of an order dated 11 July 2018, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) imposed a penalty of INR 22.36 Crore on Essel Shyam Communication (...)

The Danish Competition Authority adopts guidelines on joint bidding under competition law
Danish Competition and Consumer Authority (Copenhagen)
Denmark 125 contributions 34082 visits
New guidelines on joint bidding under competition law* The Danish Competition and Consumer Authority published new guidelines on how to assess joint bidding under competition law on 25 April 2018. These guidelines are now available in English. The guidelines address the assessments (...)

The Russian Competition Authority exposes a large cartel of medical products suppliers (RM Endovascula / Raymed Trading Group PVT / Slonika...)
Russian Federal Antimonopoly Service (Moscow)
France 327 contributions 53260 visits
FAS exposed a large cartel of medical products suppliers* Moscow OFAS exposed a cartel formed by “RM Endovascular” Ltd., “Raymed Trading Group PVT” Ltd., “SLONIKA” Ltd., “EXOMEDIC” Ltd., “VASCULAR” Ltd., “BALTICAMED” Ltd., “LIFE MEDICINE” Ltd. and “INMED” Ltd. The companies took part in 124 auctions for (...)

The Spanish Competition Authority fines five companies and three of their executives for an information exchange to collude in tenders for the award of institutional advertising contracts (Carat España / Inteligencia y Media / Media by Design / Media Sapiens / Persuade Comunicación)
European Commission (Brussels)
Belgium 45 contributions 20017 visits
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Gómez-Acebo & Pombo (Brussels)
Belgium 51 contributions 26978 visits
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Basic-Fit (Hoofddorp)
Netherlands 45 contributions 19992 visits
Five companies (Carat España SAU, Inteligencia y Media SA, Media by Design Spain SA, Media Sapiens Spain SL and Persuade Comunicación) have been sanctioned for a collusive behaviour consisting in the exchange of commercially sensitive information in order to share tenders in the Framework (...)

The Spanish National Markets and Competition Commission fines five companies and three company executives for bid-rigging of public tenders for institutional advertising services (Agencias de Medios)
Callol, Coca & Asociados (Madrid)
Spain 161 contributions 43441 visits
On 7 May 2018, the NMCC imposed fines amounting to €7.12 million upon five companies: Carat España, S.A.U, Inteligencia y Media, S.A. (YMEDIA), Media By Design Spain, S.A. (MEDIA BY DESIGN), Media Sapiens Spain, S.L. and Persuadé Comunicación, S.A. and three of their managers or legal (...)

The Turkish Competition Authority prohibits the publishing of price lists by two professional federations of translators and translation offices (TUÇEF / TURÇEF)
ELIG Gürkaynak Attorneys-at-Law (Istanbul)
Turkey 1 contribution 298 visits
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ELIG Gürkaynak Attorneys-at-Law (Istanbul)
Turkey 150 contributions 69343 visits
This case summary includes an analysis of the Turkish Competition Board’s (“Board”) TUÇEF and TURÇEF decision (03.05.2018; 18-13/230-105). The Board reviewed the allegations put forward by Berkay Gökçe, a real person, against TURÇEF Yeminli Çevirmenlik Federasyonu (“TURÇEF”) and TUÇEF Uluslararası (...)

The Indian Competition Authority fines battery manufacturers for cartel after a 6-year investigation including 2 leniency applications (Eveready Industries India / Indo National / Panasonic Energy India / Association of Indian Dry Cell Manufacturer)
Vaish Associates Advocates (New Delhi)
India 263 contributions 40036 visits
CCI Penalizes Batter Manufacturers’ Admitted Cartel - Decised Its Second Leniency Case* Competition Commission of India (CCI) by an order dated 19 April 2018, in its second decision on a leniency application, has awarded a 100 (One Hundred) per cent reduction in penalty to the leniency (...)

The Italian Competition Authority clears a horizontal cooperation agreement in the telecommunication sector by a commitment decision (Flash Fiber)
Giannino SI (Monserrato)
Italy 154 contributions 129430 visits
In the Flash Fiber case the Italian Competition Authority (ICA) has closed by a commitment decision an Article 101 TFEU investigation into a horizontal cooperation agreement concerning the telecommunication sector. After the implementation of the commitments agreed with the parties, the ICA (...)

The EU Commission fines maritime car carriers and car parts suppliers in three separate cartel cases (MOL / NYK / K Line / Wwl-Eukor / Csav) (Denso / Bosch / NGK) (TRW / Continental)
European Commission - DG COMP (Brussels)
Belgium 1229 contributions 2520261 visits
Antitrust: Commission fines maritime car carriers and car parts suppliers a total of €546 million in three separate cartel settlements* In three separate decisions, the European Commission has fined four maritime car carriers €395 million, two suppliers of spark plugs €76 million, and two (...)

The Spanish Competition Authority fines four banks for price-fixing of financial derivative products ancillary to syndicated loans (Caixabank / Santander / Sabadell / BBVA)
Callol, Coca & Asociados (Madrid)
Spain 161 contributions 43441 visits
The CNMC has just issued its Decision on financial derivatives (Decision), fining the accused banks (Santander, Sabadell, Caixa, BBVA) €91 million. The Decision refers, in particular, to the derivative products ancillary to syndicated loans, which goal is to insure borrowers against (...)

The Spanish Competition Authority fines four banks for colluding to offer interest rate derivatives at different conditions to those agreed with the clients (Banco Santander / Banco Sabadell / BBVA / Caixabank)
European Commission (Brussels)
Belgium 45 contributions 20017 visits
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Gómez-Acebo & Pombo (Brussels)
Belgium 51 contributions 26978 visits
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Basic-Fit (Hoofddorp)
Netherlands 45 contributions 19992 visits
The CNMC has imposed a EUR 91 million fine to Banco Santander, Banco Sabadell, BBVA and Caixabank for colluding to offer interest rate derivatives at different conditions from those agreed with the clients concerned. The derivatives in question were used to cover the risks of the interest rate (...)

The EU Court of Justice rules that the dissemination of misleading information is a restriction by object and excludes exemption under Article 101 §3 TFEU (Hoffman-La Roche / Novartis)
Almain (Paris)
France 1 contribution 1480 visits
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Simmons & Simmons (Paris)
France 27 contributions 58161 visits
On 23 January 2018, the Court of Justice of the European Union delivered its decision on the preliminary ruling referred to it by the Italian Council of State in the dispute between Roche and Novartis on the one hand and the Italian competition authority (AGCM) on the other. In 2014, Roche and (...)

The Russian Competition Authority opens proceedings concerning a cartel in the railway tracks market (Partnerstvo)
Russian Federal Antimonopoly Service (Moscow)
France 327 contributions 53260 visits
Rail track collusion* Moscow OFAS exposed cartels at auctions of the Ministry of Defence for supplying materials for rail tracks. “Partnerstvo” Ltd., “Pravda” Ltd. and “DorRem” Ltd. concluded and implemented oral cartel agreements throughout 5 auctions (in breach of Clause 2 Part 1 Article 11 of (...)

The Polish Competition Authority issues a decision on collusion concerning ISO certificates (Prezes Urzędu Ochrony Konkurencji i Konsumentów)
Greenberg Traurig (Warsaw)
Poland 3 contributions 798 visits
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WKB Wierciński Kwieciński Baehr (Warsaw)
Poland 19 contributions 6570 visits
By way of its decision no. RWR 13/2017 of 29 December 2017, the President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (“OCCP”) imposed a financial penalty exceeding PLN 461,000 (approx. EUR 112,000) on Istituto Italiano del Marchio di Qualita (“IMQ”) for fixing prices and dividing the (...)

The Hanover District Court finds a participant of the trucks cartel liable for damages to the city of Gottingen (MAN Trucks)
Hausfeld (Berlin)
Germany 10 contributions 2844 visits
On July 19, 2016, the European Commission (“EC”) concluded a five-year investigation and imposed record-breaking fines of over € 2.9 billion on five major truck manufacturers (MAN, Daimler, Volvo/Renault, Iveco and DAF) for antitrust infringements — the so-called “truck cartel..EC, Decision of 19 (...)

The Danish Competition Authority sanctions an association of camera distributors for cartel (Team DS)
Danish Competition and Consumer Authority (Copenhagen)
Denmark 125 contributions 34082 visits
Association of camera distributors has coordinated prices and exchanged information about its members prices and other competitive parameters* On 1 December 2017, the Danish Competition Council (DCC) ruled in a case concerning anticompetitive behaviour regarding the camera market. The DCC (...)

The Spanish Competition Authority fines cable manufacturers and one trade association for their involvement in a cartel related to supply of low and medium voltage cables (Amara / Iberdrola / Cabelte...)
Callol, Coca & Asociados (Madrid)
Spain 161 contributions 43441 visits
On 21 November 2017, the National Markets and Competition Commission (NMCC) imposed fines totalling €44.7 million on eleven undertakings and one trade association (the Spanish Association of Cable Manufacturers (FACEL) for their involvement in a cartel related to the supply of low and medium (...)

The EU Court of Justice confirms that not all practices by agricultural producer organisations and their associations are automatically excluded from the application of competition rules (APVE)
Baker McKenzie (London)
United Kingdom 2 contributions 491 visits
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Baker McKenzie (Brussels)
Belgium 2 contributions 498 visits
Under certain strict conditions, agricultural producers can coordinate their pricing and quantities without risk of falling foul of the EU competition rules. However, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has recently confirmed that not all practices by agricultural producer organisations and (...)

The EU Court of Justice provides guidance to French Court on the relationship between EU Common Agricultural Policy and Competition Law (APVE)
Van Bael & Bellis (Brussels)
Belgium 379 contributions 88806 visits
On 14 November 2017, the Court of Justice of the European Union (“ECJ”) handed down a judgment on a request for preliminary ruling from the French Supreme Court regarding the relationship between the objectives of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy and those of EU competition law (C-671/15, APVE (...)

The French Competition Authority fines three leading manufacturers of PVC and linoleum floor covering for cartel (Tarkett)
French Competition Authority (Paris)
France 709 contributions 361177 visits
The Autorité has imposed sanctions totalling €302 million on the three leading manufacturers of PVC and linoleum floor covering, as a penalty for price fixing among other pratices.* Background Acting on information submitted by the Directorate General for Competition Policy, Consumer Affairs (...)

The French Competition Authority imposes a €302 m fine on three leading companies in the PVC and Linoleum floor coverings sector for price-fixing, sharing commercially sensitive information and signing a non-compete agreement on environmental performance advertising (Forbo / Gerflor / Tarkett / SFEC)
Franklin (Paris)
France 31 contributions 20505 visits
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McDermott Will & Emery (Paris)
France 119 contributions 60786 visits
SIGNIFICANT FINE IMPOSED BY THE FRENCH COMPETITION AUTHORITY IN FLOOR COVERINGS CARTEL* On October 18, 2017, the French Competition Authority (the “FCA”) imposed a EUR 302 million fine on the three leading companies in the PVC and linoleum floor coverings sector; Forbo, Gerflor and Tarkett, as (...)

The EU Commission fines a truck manufacturer €880M for participation in a cartel (Scania)
European Commission - DG COMP (Brussels)
Belgium 1229 contributions 2520261 visits
Antitrust: Commission fines Scania €880 million for participating in trucks cartel* The European Commission has found that Scania broke EU antitrust rules. It colluded for 14 years with five other truck manufacturers on truck pricing and on passing on the costs of new technologies to meet (...)

The Indian Competition Authority fines 10 companies for bid rigging in coal and sand transportation tenders (Western Coalfields / Coal Carriers..)
Vaish Associates Advocates (New Delhi)
India 263 contributions 40036 visits
CCI imposes penalty for bid-rigging in coal transportation auctions* The Competition Commission of India (’CCI’) vide order dated September 14, 2017 has imposed penalty of almost INR 12 Crore on 10 entities namely SSV Coal Carriers Pvt. Ltd (OP-1), Bimal Kumar Khandelwal (OP-2), Pravin Transport (...)

The Turkish Competition Authority concludes its investigation into ready-mixed concrete companies engaging in allegedly concerted practices and decides not to impose any administrative fines (Çimbeton)
ELIG Gürkaynak Attorneys-at-Law (Istanbul)
Turkey 150 contributions 69343 visits
The Competition Board launched a fully-fledged investigation into 10 ready-mixed concrete companies active in the city of Izmir, which had been accused of undertaking a concerted practice for three months and thus violating Article 4 of Law 4054. Following a 16-month investigation, on August 22 (...)

The Spanish High Court rules that the constitutional principle of the individual nature of penalties precludes a parent company from being held to be the perpetrator of anti-competitive practices on the market in the motor fuels market solely because of its shareholding in the capital of its subsidiary (Repsol)
Callol, Coca & Asociados (Madrid)
Spain 161 contributions 43441 visits
The High Court has upheld the appeal filed by Repsol S.A. (Repsol or Parent Company) against the decision of the NMCC declaring the Parent Company guilty of conduct carried out by its subsidiary Repsol Comercial de Productos Petrolíferos, S.A. (Subsidiary) (Decision of 2 July 2015, file S/484/13 (...)

The Spanish Competition Authority closes the medical gases investigation due to insufficient evidence to establish anticompetitive practices (Abelló Linde / Air Liquide Medicinal / Conste / Praxair...)
Callol, Coca & Asociados (Madrid)
Spain 161 contributions 43441 visits
The NMCC initiated an investigation on possible anti-competitive practices in the manufacturing and distribution of medical gases, consisting of market sharing, price fixing and the exchange of confidential information. The NMCC carried out dawn raids at Abelló Linde, S.A., Air Liquide (...)

The German Competition Authority fines three manufacturers of heat shields and their representatives for cartel (Elring Klinger Abschirmtechnik)
German Competition Authority (Bonn)
Germany 422 contributions 106131 visits
Bundeskartellamt imposes fines on automotive part manufacturers* The Bundeskartellamt has imposed fines amounting to 9.6 million euros on three manufacturers of heat shields and their representatives. The companies involved are Elring Klinger Abschirmtechnik (Schweiz) AG, Sevelen (...)

The OECD holds a roundtable to address issues on algorithms and collusion
Norton Rose Fulbright (Brussels)
Belgium 31 contributions 13282 visits
OECD workshop addresses algorithms and collusion issues* On June 21-23, the OECD held a roundtable on the theme of “Algorithms and Collusion,” as part of a wider work stream on competition in the digital economy. The OECD roundtable reflects a shift in the debate over the antitrust implications (...)

The Latvian Competition Authority fines nine distributors of professional stage equipment for bid-rigging (SGS Sistēmas)
Latvian Competition Council (Riga)
Latvia 115 contributions 21918 visits
The CC detects bid-rigging among distributors of professional stage equipment* On 30 May, the Competition Council of Latvia (the CC) adopted a decision to impose a fine on nine companies, which had coordinated their activities within the framework of procurements of public and municipal (...)

The Bulgarian Competition Authority approves commitments by oil companies suspected of cartel activities (Lukoil Bulgaria / Eco Bulgaria / Shell Bulgaria / OMV Bulgaria / NIS PETROL)
Tsvetkova Bebov Komarevski (Sofia)
10 contributions 3983 visits
The Bulgarian Commission for Protection of Competition has approved commitments by oil companies suspected of cartel activities* On 28.03.2017, the Bulgarian Commission for Protection of Competition (the “Bulgarian Commission”) approved commitments by the leading Bulgarian oil companies Lukoil (...)

The French Competition Authority dismisses collusion case against car rental companies due to lack of evidence that exchange of information led to strategic changes in their behavior (Europcar / Avis / Citer / Hertz / Sixt / EDA)
Compass Lexecon (Madrid)
Spain 4 contributions 9032 visits
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Compass Lexecon (Paris)
France 36 contributions 97329 visits
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Compass Lexecon (Madrid)
Spain 2 contributions 1611 visits
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When Information Is Not (Market) Power: Using Quantitative Techniques To Show That Information Exchange Did Not Facilitate Collusion* Abstract On January 2015, the French competition authority claimed that some car rental companies infringed competition law by sharing monthly information (...)

The French Competition Authority drops charges against car rental companies for exchanging detailed and individualised sales information (Europcar / Sixt / Avis / Hertz)
Van Bael & Bellis (Brussels)
Belgium 379 contributions 88795 visits
On 27 February 2017, the French Competition Authority (“FCA”) decided to close a ten-year investigation into information exchanges between car rental companies without imposing any sanction. The FCA investigated whether information exchanged through airport management authorities facilitated (...)

The Indian Competition Authority fines seven cement manufacturers for bid-rigging (Shree Cement / Ultratech Cement / Jaiprakash Associates / J.K. Cement / Ambuja Cements / ACC / J.K. Lakshmi Cement)
Vaish Associates Advocates (New Delhi)
India 263 contributions 40036 visits
CCI imposes penalty of INR 205 Crores on 7 cement manufacturers for bid-rigging in supply of cement to Director General (Supplies and Disposal), Haryana* CCI by its order dated January 19, 2017 has imposed a penalty for bid-riggingon 7 cement manufacturers, viz. Shree Cement Limited, Ultratech (...)

The EU Court of Justice confirms the EU Commission decision on the animal feed phosphates cartel (Timab Industries)
European Commission - DG COMP (Brussels)
Belgium 1229 contributions 2520261 visits
Antitrust: Commission welcomes Court of Justice judgment on Animal Feed Phosphates cartel* The European Commission welcomes today’s judgment by the EU Court of Justice dismissing in its entirety Timab’s appeal against an earlier General Court ruling. The General Court (case T-456/10) had upheld (...)

The UK Competition Authority fines suppliers of galvanized steel tanks for bid-rigging (Franklin Hodge / Balmoral Tanks / Galglass)
United Kingdom’s Competition Authority (CMA) (London)
United Kingdom 338 contributions 86419 visits
CMA fines water tank firms over £2.7 million* The CMA has today issued 2 decisions imposing fines on suppliers of galvanised steel tanks for breaching competition law. Galvanised steel tanks are used for water storage in larger buildings, such as schools, hospitals and other commercial and (...)

The EU General Court annuls a cartel settlement decision on appeal due to the Commission’s failure to sufficiently inform the undertakings on the fining methodology used (Printeos)
Van Bael & Bellis (Brussels)
Belgium 379 contributions 88795 visits
Under the Commission’s cartel settlement procedure, an undertaking admitting liability to a cartel infringement and waiving certain procedural rights is rewarded with a 10% reduction in the fine. In the envelopes cartel case, the Commission fined five producers €19.4 million under the settlement (...)

The French Competition Authority fines several modelling agencies for cartel (L’Agence)
French Competition Authority (Paris)
France 709 contributions 361177 visits
The Autorité fines for anticompetitive agreement the modelling sector’s main professional union and 37 modelling agencies* In brief The Autorité de la concurrence today issues a decision under which it fines the main professional union of modelling agencies, the SYNAM, for having, between (...)

The Latvian Competition Authority fines medical equipment traders for bid-rigging (Optika&Dentika / KJ Serviss)
Latvian Competition Council (Riga)
Latvia 115 contributions 21918 visits
The CC fines Medical Equipment Traders for collusive Behaviour in Public Procurements* On 8 September, the Competition Council (the CC) fined two medical equipment traders SIA OPTIKA&DENTIKA and SIA KJ SERVISS for participating in a cartel agreement in four public procurements. Due to the (...)

The US FTC charges an undertaking for an alleged invitation to collude with another undertaking that served as both a competitor and a supplier (Fortiline)
Morgan Lewis (New York)
United States 1 contribution 218 visits
This article has been nominated for the 2017 Antitrust Writing Awards. Click here to learn more about the Antitrust Writing Awards. A dual distribution relationship does not protect against Section 5 liability for an invitation to collude. For the first time, the Federal Trade Commission (...)

The Indian Competition Authority fines a professional association and its compliant pharmaceutical member company for anticompetitive agreements (Maruti & Company / KCDA Karnataka Chemists & Druggists Association / Lupin)
Vaish Associates Advocates (New Delhi)
India 263 contributions 40036 visits
CCI again fines Pharma Company for Anti-Competitive Activities * The Competition Commission of India (“CCI/ Commission”) by way of its order dated 28.07.2016 has found the Karnataka Chemists and Druggist Association (“KCDA”) , Lupin Ltd. (“Lupin”) and their Office bearers to be in contravention of (...)

The German Competition Authority fines TV studio operators for cartel (Studio Berlin Adlershof)
German Competition Authority (Bonn)
Germany 422 contributions 106131 visits
Bundeskartellamt imposes fines on TV studio operators* The Bundeskartellamt has imposed fines amounting to a total of approx. 3.1 million euros on Studio Berlin Adlershof (SBA) GmbH, its affiliate Studio Berlin Broadcast GmbH (both located in Berlin) and Bavaria Studios & Production (...)

The Latvian Competition Authority fines companies specialized in water infrastructure development service for bid rigging (Sistēmas)
Latvian Competition Council (Riga)
Latvia 115 contributions 21918 visits
The Competition Council of Latvia Fines Three Companies for Collusive Bidding by Contractors* On 8 July 2016, the Competition Council (CC) of Latvia has fined three companies – SIA CO Sistēmas, SIA SAN B, and SIA Talsu spriegums – for rigging a public tenders. Companies were found to coordinate (...)

The Spanish Competition Authority fines eight companies and 9 of their executives for their involvement in a cartel and bid-rigging case in the public procurement process on the national railway market (Infraestructuras Ferroviarias)
European Commission (Brussels)
Belgium 714 contributions 214343 visits
The CNMC fines four companies and nine of their executives € 5.64 million for dividing up the awards for supplying ADIF with rail turnouts* The CNMC fined € 5.58 million Amurrio Ferrocarril y Equipos, S.A, Jez Sistemas Ferroviarios, S.L., Talleres Alegría, S.A. and Duro Felguera Rail, S.A.U for a (...)

The Indian Competition Authority clarifies that mere collusion or coordination is not enough to find undertakings contravene the provisions of the Competition Act (Shri Nirmal / Ruchi Soya / Betul Oils / Ganganagar)
Vaish Associates Advocates (New Delhi)
India 263 contributions 40036 visits
CCI: Mere collusion or coordination is not enough to hold the Parties in contravention of the provisions of the Competition Act* The CCI, by way of its order dated June 28, 2016 held that M/s Ruchi Soya Industries Ltd., M/s Betul Oils Ltd and M/s Ganganagar Commodity Ltd. were not in (...)

The Italian Regional Administrative Court of Latium sets aside a previous infringement decision made by the Italian Competition Authority on a bid-rigging practice (Rai servizi Post-Produzione)
Giannino SI (Monserrato)
Italy 154 contributions 129430 visits
By a judgment issued in Rai servizi post-produzione the Regional Administrative Court of Latium (the Court) reversed a previous infringement decision made by the Italian Competition Authority (ICA). The Court held that the ICA failed to establish an anti-competitive concerted practice to the (...)

The Croatian High Administrative Court fines several personal protection firms for cartel (Sokol Marić)
Croatian Competition Agency (Zagreb)
Croatia 109 contributions 17448 visits
Decisions of the High Administrative Court* In the first case, by dismissing the claim of the claimants the High Administrative Court backed the CCA decision of 17 March 2015 establishing that the personal protection firms Sokol Marić, AKD-Zaštita, Securitas Hrvatska, Klemm Sigurnost, (...)

The Finnish Competition Authority inspects bus and coach operators suspected of collusion
Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority (Helsinki)
Finland 72 contributions 11871 visits
FCCA has inspected bus and coach operators in Southwest Finland* The purpose of the inspections was to find out whether the operators were guilty of unlawful collaboration between competitors. The Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority has a right to carry out inspections under the (...)

The Moldovan Competition Authority accepts commitments from tour operators and airlines in the charter air passenger transport market (Scavolin)
University of Macau - Faculty of Law (Macau)
China 283 contributions 222939 visits
On 4 November 2011 the Moldovan Competition Authority (CC) concluded its investigation into the alleged anti-competitive practices on the market for charter air passenger transport by accepting a series of commitments offered by the tour operators and airline companies involved. The case (...)

The Indian Competition Appellate Tribunal annuls a fine for alleged collusion by a professional transport association due to lack of evidence by the Competition Authority (Indian Foundation of Transport Research & Training / All India Motor Transport Congress)
Vaish Associates Advocates (New Delhi)
India 263 contributions 40036 visits
COMPAT sets-aside penalty imposed on All India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC) for alleged increases of transport rates in collusion* COMPAT by its order dated April 18, 2016 has set-aside the order of CCI where AIMTC was penalized for allegedly exhorting truck transporters for increasing (...)

The Hellenic Competition Authority accepts commitments proposed by steel producers regarding the exchange of information in the context of their trade association (Sidenor)
Hellenic Competition Commission (Athens)
Greece 104 contributions 14406 visits
The HCC accepts commitments by steel producers regarding the exchange of information in the context of their trade association, while further rejecting complaints about other alleged infringements in the markets for the production, distribution and accreditation of steel products* The HCC (...)

The Indian Competition Appellate Tribunal annuls a bid-rigging fine for multi-product companies who are fined only on their case product turnover and identical prices are not prima facie illegal (DG S&D / A. R. Polymers)
Vaish Associates Advocates (New Delhi)
India 263 contributions 40036 visits
Competition Appellate Tribunal (COMPAT) sets-aside penalty imposed on Jungle Boot suppliers for alleged bid rigging* COMPAT by its order dated April 12, 2016 has set-aside the penalty imposed on suppliers of Polyester Blended Duck Ankle Boot Rubber Sole/ Appellants (Jungle Boots) against (...)

The Hungarian Competition Authority initiates proceedings for a suspected cartel during a procurement procedure of health equipment aimed at saving energy (Siemens Healthcare)
Hungarian Competition Authority (Budapest)
Hungary 85 contributions 17256 visits
The GVH has initiated a proceeding for a suspected cartel* On 11 April 2016 the Hungarian Competition Authority (Gazdasági Versenyhivatal – GVH) initiated a competition supervision proceeding against several undertakings (Siemens Healthcare Kft., GE Hungary Ipari és Kereskedelmi Kft., PHILIPS (...)

The Kiev Commercial Court of Appeal quashes a Lower Court’s ruling upholding the decision of the Antimonopoly Committee in a case involving allegations of anticompetitive information exchange (AC Nielsen)
Asters (Kiev)
Ukraine 10 contributions 2501 visits
On 31 March 2016, the Kiev Commercial Court of Appeal (the "Court of Appeal") quashed the ruling of the Kiev Commercial Court (the "Lower Court") upholding the decision of the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (the "AMC") in the case involving allegations that certain trade chains had (...)

The Finnish Market Court rejects the penalty proposed by the Competition Authority concerning power line matter (Empower)
Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority (Helsinki)
Finland 72 contributions 11871 visits
Market Court rejects FCCA’s penalty proposal concerning power line matter* The Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority (FCCA) had proposed that the Market Court impose a EUR 35 million penalty on Eltel Networks Oy and Eltel Group Oy for unlawful collaboration between competitors in power (...)

The US District Court for the Southern District of New York confirms that cooperative processes such as setting benchmark interest rates may be subject to antitrust laws (Alaska Electrical Pension / Bank of America)
Constantine Cannon (New York)
United States 1 contribution 164 visits
Competitors engaged in cooperative processes find they face competing approaches by Southern District of New York Judges weighing antitrust liability*The scope of antitrust liability for competitors engaged in cooperative processes—such as setting benchmark interest rates—became murkier this week (...)

The Dutch Competition Authority fines cold-storage firms for cartel (Eimskip / Kloosbeheer / Samskip / H&S Coldstores)
Netherlands Authority for Consumers & Markets (ACM) (The Hague)
Netherlands 191 contributions 31561 visits
ACM imposed fines of EUR 12.5 million on cold-storage firms* The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) has imposed fines, totaling almost EUR 12.5 million, in three cases on four companies in the cold storage industry (freezing and refrigerated storage). Five executives were (...)

The Finnish Supreme Court rules on competition damages limitation periods in a timber cartel (Timber procurement cartel)
Bird & Bird (Brussels)
Belgium 42 contributions 11341 visits
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Bird & Bird (Helsinki)
Finland 14 contributions 924 visits
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Bird & Bird (Helsinki)
Finland 1 contribution 48 visits
In two judgments that are of pan-European interest because of their relevance to the interpretation of the EU competition Damages Directive, the Finnish Supreme Court and the Belgian Constitutional Court ruled on limitation periods to bring competition damages claims. The Finnish Supreme Court (...)

The French Competition Authority launches unannounced inspections in the market of fire safety systems equipping businesses and buildings receiving the public
French Competition Authority (Paris)
France 709 contributions 361177 visits
Fire safety systems equipping businesses and buildings receiving the public* The General Rapporteur of the Autorité de la concurrence states that unannounced inspections were carried out on February 18th in the sector of fire safety systems equipping businesses and buildings receiving the (...)

The Australian Federal Court dismisses cartel case against association of egg producers due to insufficient evidence of intent to enter into collusive agreement (Australian Egg Corporation)
Jones Day (Melbourne)
Australia 10 contributions 1276 visits
In a rare case brought under the cartel laws, the ACCC has failed to establish that the Australian Egg Corporation Limited and two egg producers attempted to induce 19 egg producers to make an arrangement to reduce the production of eggs in Australia. While the Court considered that the ACCC (...)

The Portuguese Competition Authority launches unannounced inspections in the credit sector
Portuguese Competition Authority (Lisbon)
Portugal 106 contributions 25982 visits
The Portuguese Competition Authority confirms unannounced inspections in the specialised credit sector* The Portuguese Competition Authority (the PCA) confirms that it carried out unannounced inspections on 28 and 29 January 2016, at 13 premises of various specialised credit institutions (...)

The EU Court of Justice gives a preliminary ruling for an alleged collusion among a number of travel agencies through an online travel booking system (Eturas)
Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition (Munich)
Germany 19 contributions 4377 visits
On 21 January 2016 the European Court of Justice (ECJ) gave a preliminary ruling upon the request of the Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania in the Eturas case. At the core of the case was an alleged collusion among a number of travel agencies through an online travel booking system (...)

The Indian Competition Authority closes cartel case against general insurance public sector enterprises and their associations (TPAs / GIPSA)
Vaish Associates Advocates (New Delhi)
India 263 contributions 40036 visits
Competition Commission of India (CCI) closes case against General Insurance Public Sector Undertakings and their association for alleged cartelization* The CCI, by its order dated January 4, 2016, has closed a case alleging anti-competitive agreements between the four PSU general insurance (...)

The Hong Kong Competition Authority receives an application for block exemption regarding liner shipping agreements (Hong Kong Liner Shipping Association)
Robert Connolly Law (Palm Springs)
21 contributions 4662 visits
Hong Kong Shipping Association Seeks Liner Exemption* The Hong Kong Liner Shipping Association has submitted to the Hong Kong Competition Commission for consideration a block exemption for liner shipping agreements. The HK Commission gave interested parties until March 24 to comment on the (...)

The Indian Competition Commission fines airlines for fixing fuel surcharge and shows a change in the evidentiary standard in cartel cases involving price parallelism and circumstantial evidence (Jet Airways / InterGlobe Aviation / Spice Jet)
Chandhiok & Mahajan (New Delhi)
India 12 contributions 2368 visits
CCI imposes penalty of USD 38.6 million on airlines for fixing fuel surcharge* Just when one almost thought that the year 2015 would go by without a major cartel fine, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) published a decision on 17 November 2015 imposing penalties of USD 38.6 million (...)

The Turkish Council of State annuls the decision of the Competition Authority which dismissed the complaint at the preliminary inquiry stage without evaluating the information that showed the collusion (Pegas / Anex / Tez / Odeon Tours)
3 contributions 728 visits
This case comment analyses the judgment of the Turkish Council of State in which it has annulled the decision of the Turkish Competition Authority that rejects the complaint of a rival at the stage of preliminary inquiry without assessing the evidence demonstrating the collusion between four (...)

The Greek Competition Authority accepts the commitments proposed by manufacturers on the market for the sale of tobacco products (Philip Morris)
Hellenic Competition Commission (Athens)
Greece 104 contributions 14406 visits
HCC accepted commitments proposed by tobacco manufacturers to meet competition concerns in the market for the sale of tobacco products in Greece* The Hellenic Competition Commission (HCC), by a unanimous decision, accepted commitments proposed by the leading producers of tobacco products in (...)

The EU General Court confirms the decision of the Commission sanctioning a cartel on the market for cathode ray tubes but reduces the fines for some undertakings (Panasonic / Samsung / LG / Philips / Toshiba)
General Court of the European Union (Luxembourg)
Luxembourg 58 contributions 26388 visits
The General Court reduces the fines imposed by the Commission on Panasonic and on Toshiba for their participation in a cartel on the European market for tubes for television sets* However, it confirms the fines imposed on the other members of the cartel By decision of 5 December 2012, [1] the (...)

The Latvian Competition Authority issues warnings against 15 tenderers of public procurements suspected of bid-rigging
Latvian Competition Council (Riga)
Latvia 115 contributions 21918 visits
Competition Authority warns 15 Undertakings* In the first half of 2015, the Competition Council (CC) of Latvia has issued warnings to 15 undertakings under suspicion of breach of the Competition Law. Most warnings have been issued to tenderers of public procurements, thus once again proving (...)

The UK Competition Authority fines an association of undertakings for anti-competitive information exchange and pricing agreements (Consultant Eye Surgeon Partnership)
European Commission - DG COMP (Brussels)
Belgium 4 contributions 1817 visits
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United Kingdom’s Competition Authority (CMA) (London)
United Kingdom 1 contribution 678 visits
I. Background On 26 May 2013, the UK Competition Authority (the OFT at the time), received a complaint alleging concerns that Consultant Eye Surgeon Limited Liability Partnerships (“LLPs”), via their membership association CESP Limited (“CESP Ltd”), were agreeing prices and sharing prices and (...)

The Spanish Competition Authority fines twenty-one automobile manufacturing and distributing companies for exchanging highly confidential information as well as the two consulting companies involved in these exchanges (Fabricantes de automóviles)
Callol, Coca & Asociados (Madrid)
Spain 161 contributions 43441 visits
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Callol, Coca & Asociados (Madrid)
Spain 65 contributions 21398 visits
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Callol, Coca & Asociados (Madrid)
Spain 61 contributions 3346 visits
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The NMCC has imposed fines totalling €171 million on 21 automobile manufacturing and distributing companies in Spain, as well as two consulting companies, for anti-competitive practices (Decision of 23 July 2015, file S/0482/13). The NMCC considers that a single and continuous infringement of (...)

The Spanish Competition Authority fines 23 companies for participating in a cartel in the automobile manufacturing and distribution markets (Fabricantes de automóviles)
European Commission (Brussels)
Belgium 714 contributions 214343 visits
The CNMC has issued 171 million euros in fines to 21 automobile manufacturing and distributing companies in Spain* On 28/07/2015, The CNMC has issued a total of 171 million euros in fines to 21 companies present in the distribution and marketing of motor vehicles market and/or the provision of (...)

The Spanish Competition Authority fines 21 car manufacturers and distributers and two consulting firms for exchanging commercially sensitive and strategic information (Fabricantes de automóviles)
European Commission - DG COMP (Brussels)
Belgium 3 contributions 1282 visits
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Liège University (Liège)
Belgium 1 contribution 686 visits
The CNMC (Spain’s National Authority for Markets and Competition) Council issues a 171 million euros fine against 21 automobile manufacturing and distributing companies and two consulting companies for exchanging commercially sensitive and strategic information. File resolution S/0482/13 (...)

The EU Commission fines cargo train operators in a cartel settlement (Express Interfracht / Schenker)
Constantine Cannon (London)
United Kingdom 12 contributions 5528 visits
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Phillips Auctioneers (London)
5 contributions 2915 visits
European Commission Slams Cargo Train Operators With 49 Million Euro Fine In Cartel Settlement* The European Commission (“EC”) today imposed fines totalling 49,154,000 euros on Express Interfracht, part of the Austrian railway company Österreichische Bundesbahnen, and Schenker, a subsidiary of (...)

The Latvian Competition Authority fines several tenderers for bid rigging in the market of timber preparation (Amils)
Latvian Competition Council (Riga)
Latvia 115 contributions 21918 visits
Competition Authority fines 11 tenderers of logging procurement* On 14 July, the Competition Council (CC) of Latvia took a decision to fine 11 undertakings for coordinating their tenders with one or several other tenderer in a public procurement of timber preparation. For such actions, the (...)

The Mexican Competition Authority opens an ex-officio investigation concerning possible absolute monopolistic practices in the market for the provision of administrative services for workers’ pension funds (AFORES)
Mexican Competition Authority (Mexico City)
Mexico 120 contributions 23964 visits
COFECE to Investigate Possible Absolute Monopolistic Practices in the Market for Pension Fund Administration Services in Mexico* Through the Mexican Federal Official Gazette and its website, the Federal Economic Competition Commission’s (COFECE or Commission) Investigative Authority announced (...)

The Italian Administrative Court of Second Instance confirms the annulment in parte qua of the Competition Authority’s decision regarding a cartel in the market for road and highway barriers (Metalmeccanica)
Orsingher Ortu Avvocati (Milano)
Italy 13 contributions 3300 visits
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DLA Piper (Rome)
Italy 1 contribution 259 visits
1. Premise – The present work is aimed at focusing on the decision of 2 July 2015 No. 3291 issued by the Italian Administrative Court of Second Instance (i.e. Consiglio di Stato, hereinafter the “CdS”), highlighting the aspects of interest (hereinafter, the “Judgement”). The Judgement closed a (...)

The US Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit affirms ruling condemning masterminding the creation, organization and implementation of a conspiracy by five ebook publishers (Apple)
Sheppard Mullin (San Francisco)
United States 2 contributions 356 visits
The Second Circuit’s Apple Ebooks Opinion* The Second Circuit affirmed the district court and held, 2 to 1, that defendant Apple Inc. had violated Section 1 by masterminding the creation, organization and implementation of a conspiracy by five publishers of ebooks that benefited Apple, as Apple (...)

The Spanish Competition Authority fines eighteen companies and one trade association active in the markets of paper and corrugated cardboard manufacturing for anticompetitive practices qualified as a single and continuous infringement (Asociación española de fabricantes de envases y embalajes de cartón ondulado)
Callol, Coca & Asociados (Madrid)
Spain 161 contributions 43441 visits
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Callol, Coca & Asociados (Madrid)
Spain 65 contributions 21398 visits
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Callol, Coca & Asociados (Madrid)
Spain 61 contributions 3346 visits
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The NMCC has imposed fines totalling €57.7 million on 18 companies and one trade association active in the markets of paper and corrugated cardboard manufacturing (Decision of 18 June 2015, file S/0469/13). On 18 June 2015, the NMCC has fined 18 companies and one trade association for breaching (...)

The Italian Competition Authority accepts commitments to amend a co-marketing agreement in the pharmaceutical sector, and closes its antitrust investigation (Novartis / Italfarmaco)
Bonelli Erede (Rome)
Italy 41 contributions 53630 visits
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Bonelli Erede (Rome)
Italy 11 contributions 4313 visits
With Decision No. 25508 of 4 June 2015, the Italian Competition Authority (the “ICA”), accepted the commitments proposed by Novartis Farma S.p.A. (“Novartis”) and Italfarmaco S.p.A. (“Italfarmaco”, together the “Parties”) and closed the investigation opened following a complaint lodged by the (...)

The Spanish Supreme Court annuls High Court judgments concerning a decennial liability insurance cartel (Insurance Cartel)
Callol, Coca & Asociados (Madrid)
Spain 161 contributions 43441 visits
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Callol, Coca & Asociados (Madrid)
Spain 65 contributions 21398 visits
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Callol, Coca & Asociados (Madrid)
Spain 61 contributions 3346 visits
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On 12 November 2009 the NMCC issued fines amounting to a total of € 120 million on several insurance and reinsurance companies for their participation in an arrangement to fix minimum prices for decennial liability insurance policies; its application; the performance of surveillance (...)

The Mexican Competition Authority opens an investigation in the air transport sector
Mexican Competition Authority (Mexico City)
Mexico 120 contributions 23964 visits
COFECE initiates investigation into air transport sector* Through the Mexican Federal Official Gazette and its website, the Federal Economic Competition Commission’s (COFECE) Investigative Authority publicly announced the extract of its ex-officio investigation initiation decision under file (...)

The Croatian Competition Authority issues two cartel decisions concerning the personal protection market and the market of provision of berth and mooring services (Sokol Marić / AKD-Zaštita / Securitas Hrvatska)
Croatian Competition Agency (Zagreb)
Croatia 109 contributions 17448 visits
Two cartel decisions by the CCA* The Croatian Competition Agency adopted two decisions on prohibited horizontal agreements, first, in the provision of personal protection services involving seven undertakings and second, in the provision of berth and mooring services, where nine undertakings (...)

The Mexican Supreme Court of Justice upholds the decision of the Competition Authority concerning a bid-rigging in the pharmaceutical sector (Baxter, Fresenius, Eli Lilly and Pisa)
Mexican Competition Authority (Mexico City)
Mexico 120 contributions 23964 visits
The Supreme Court of Justice decides on bid rigging in social security public tenders case* The Mexican Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ) confirmed the legality of a resolution issued by the extinct Federal Competition Commission in 2010, against pharmaceutical enterprises Baxter, Fresenius, Eli (...)

The Hellenic Competition Authority sends a statement of objections to undertakings for suspected cartel in the steel long products sector (Sidenor / Hellenic Halyvourgia / Halyvourgiki)
Hellenic Competition Commission (Athens)
Greece 104 contributions 14404 visits
Statement of Objections addressed to companies active in the production and trading of steel products regarding alleged infringements of competition rules * Following the issuing of a Statement of Objections, the Hellenic Competition Commission (HCC) will convene on 29.05.2015 to hear a case (...)

The French Competition Authority issues an opinion concerning the cooperation agreements in the food retail sector
French Competition Authority (Paris)
France 709 contributions 361177 visits
Joint purchasing agreements in the food retail sector* The Autorité de la concurrence issues an opinion in which it proposes a grid for the general analysis of risks arising from the cooperation agreements recently concluded and provides recommendations CONTEXT Cooperation agreements Three (...)

The French Competition Authority imposes fines on three millers for cartel in the market of flour sold to craft bakeries (Axiane Meunerie / Minoteries Cantin / Grands Moulins de Strasbourg)
French Competition Authority (Paris)
France 709 contributions 361177 visits
The Autorité de la concurrence fines 3 millers for anticompetitive agreements on increases in the price of flour sold to craft bakeries.* The Autorité de la concurrence issues today a decision whereby it fines Axiane meunerie, Minoteries Cantin and Grands Moulins de Strasbourg a total of 1.1 (...)

The EU Court of Justice considers that the bilateral exchange of pre-pricing informations to a concerted practice with the object of restricting competition is an anticompetitive practice (Dole)
Herbert Smith Freehills (Brussels)
Belgium 97 contributions 65736 visits
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Herbert Smith Freehills (London)
United Kingdom 49 contributions 18941 visits
This article has been nominated for the 2016 Antitrust Writing Awards. Click here to learn more about the Antitrust Writing Awards. In its ruling of 19 March 2015 (Case C-286/13P) relating to the banana cartel, the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) dismissed the appeal by banana importer Dole (...)

The EU Court of Justice confirms that the exchange of sensitive information could constitute a cartel (Dole Food)
Covington & Burling (Brussels)
Belgium 27 contributions 11858 visits
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Covington & Burling (Brussels)
Belgium 43 contributions 15782 visits
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Covington & Burling (Seoul)
South Korea 3 contributions 1199 visits
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In an important ruling rendered March 19, 2015 in the Bananas case, the EU’s top court definitively upheld the EU Commission’s expansive view of cartel conduct and held that no “fix” (as in agreement) is needed for the EU to conclude that cartel activities have occurred. It is no secret that the (...)

The EU Court of Justice decides that the General Court was correct in finding that the exchange of pre-pricing information was a restriction of competition by object under Art. 101 TFEU (Dole)
Simmons & Simmons (London)
United Kingdom 19 contributions 4461 visits
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Simmons & Simmons (London)
United Kingdom 12 contributions 3911 visits
Appeal in banana cartel results in confirmation that the analysis of bilateral information exchange as an object infringement by Commission and General Court was correct. In Brief In its judgment on 19 March 2015, the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) concluded that Dole’s appeal (...)

The French Competition Authority imposes fines on several producers of fresh dairy for cartel (Yoghurt cartel)
French Competition Authority (Paris)
France 709 contributions 361177 visits
Cartel in the fresh dairy products sector (yoghurts, fromages blancs, milk-based desserts, etc.)* The Autorité de la concurrence fines €192.7 million an anticompetitive agreement on dairy products sold under retail private labels The Autorité issues today a decision in which it finds the (...)

The Ontario Superior Court of Justice finds nine defendants not guilty on 60 charges of bid-rigging and conspiracy to rig bids (Durward)
Stikeman Elliott (Ottawa)
Canada 2 contributions 367 visits
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Stikeman Elliott (Ottawa)
Canada 1 contribution 168 visits
Canada’s Competition Bureau loses major bid-rigging case: 60 not guilty verdicts* In a further blow to the track record of the Competition Bureau and the Public Prosecution Service of Canada in contested criminal trials, on April 27, 2015, a jury in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice found (...)

The Spanish Competition Authority fines forty five car dealer companies for a cartel in the car distribution market (Toyota / Hyundai / Opel...)
Callol, Coca & Asociados (Madrid)
Spain 161 contributions 43432 visits
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Callol, Coca & Asociados (Madrid)
Spain 65 contributions 21398 visits
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Callol, Coca & Asociados (Madrid)
Spain 61 contributions 3346 visits
The National Markets and Competition Commission (NMCC) has imposed fines totalling EUR 9 m to 45 car dealer companies operating in the country’s car distribution market for an infringement of Article 1 of the Spanish Competition Act (SCA) (Decisions of 5 March 2015, files S/0486/13, S/0488/13 (...)

The Spanish Competition Authority fines exchange of strategic information in the dairy industry (Danone / Lactalis Iberia / Nestlé)
European Commission (Brussels)
Belgium 714 contributions 214356 visits
CNMC Imposes Fines of € 88 000 000 in Dairy Industry* On 3 March 2015, the Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia (CNMC) fined nine companies and two sectoral associations that operate in the raw cow’s milk supply market in Spain a total amount of € 88.2 million for a breach of Article (...)

The Spanish Competition Authority fines nine dairy companies and two associations for alleged exchanges of information relating to purchases of raw milk (Dairy Industry 2)
Cuatrecasas (Barcelona)
Spain 1 contribution 136 visits
On February 26, 2015, the Spanish National Commission for Markets and Competition (Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y de la Competencia or “CNMC”) determined that nine companies and two associations in the dairy sector had engaged in a number of exchanges of commercially sensitive information (...)

The Spanish Competition Authority fines various milk suppliers for exchanging information, coordinating pricing and allocating clientele (Industrias Lácteas 2)
Callol, Coca & Asociados (Madrid)
Spain 161 contributions 43432 visits
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Callol, Coca & Asociados (Madrid)
Spain 65 contributions 21398 visits
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Callol, Coca & Asociados (Madrid)
Spain 61 contributions 3346 visits
The NMCC has imposed fines totalling EUR 88.2m on nine companies and two associations operating in the country’s raw cow milk supply market for an infringement of Article 1 of the Spanish Competition Act (SCA) and Article 101 TFEU. The NMCC initiated proceedings as a result of a report on the (...)

The Spanish Competition Authority fines various petrol product operator for anti-competitive agreements (Repsol / CEPSA / BP)
European Commission (Brussels)
Belgium 714 contributions 214356 visits
CNMC Fines Various Petrol Product Operators a Total of € 32 400 000 for Anti-competitive Agreements* On 24 February 2015, the Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia (CNMC) sanctioned Repsol S.A., Disa Corporación Petrolifera S.A., Meroil S.A., Galp Energía España S.A., BP España S.A. (...)

The Spanish Competition Authority fines oil companies for entering into several anticompetitive agreements (Repsol)
Callol, Coca & Asociados (Madrid)
Spain 161 contributions 43432 visits
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Callol, Coca & Asociados (Madrid)
Spain 65 contributions 21398 visits
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Callol, Coca & Asociados (Madrid)
Spain 61 contributions 3346 visits
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On 20 February 2015, the NMCC sanctioned Repsol S.A., Disa Corporación Petrolifera S.A., Meroil S.A., Galp Energía España S.A., BP España S.A. and Compañía Española de Petróleos S.A.U. (CEPSA) for several infringements of Articles 1 of the Spanish Competition Act (SCA) and 101 TFEU. In particular, the (...)

The Lithuanian Competition Authority fines a cartel in the energy sector (Lukrida / Envija / Manfula)
European Commission (Brussels)
Belgium 714 contributions 214356 visits
Competition Council Hits Cartel in Energy Sector* On 11 February 2015, the Competition Council (the Council) found that UAB Lukrida (Lukrida) and UAB Manfula (Manfula), the main market players in the construction of cogeneration power plants in Lithuania, sought to restrict competition in the (...)

The Hellenic Competition Commission sends statement of objections to suspected bid rigging participants in the radio audience measurement market (MRB and FOCUS)
Hellenic Competition Commission (Athens)
Greece 104 contributions 14406 visits
Statement of Objections addressed to undertakings active in the market of media measurement services regarding an alleged infringement of article 1 Law 3959/2011 (and/ or article 1 Law 703/1977)* Following the issuing of a statement of objections, the Hellenic Competition Commission (HCC) will (...)

The EU Commission fines a broker for facilitating Yen Libor cartels by serving as a communication channel and disseminating misleading information about expected rates (Icap)
Alston & Bird (London)
Belgium 6 contributions 1761 visits
European Commission Fines London-Based Broker ICAP 14.9 Million Euros For Facilitating Yen Libor Cartels* The European Commission (“EC”) has fined London-based ICAP, the world’s largest broker of interest-rate swaps, for facilitating bank cartels in the market for Yen-denominated interest rate (...)

The Italian Competition Authority fines several undertakings for their participation to a cartel in the market of depuration of muds from sewage waters (Gare Gestioni Fanghi)
Giannino SI (Monserrato)
Italy 154 contributions 129430 visits
Introduction By a decision made on 3 February 2015 in the case I765, Gare Gestioni Fanghi, the Italian Competition Authority (ICA) has found Alan, Azienda Agricola Allievi, CRE, Ecotrass and Evergreen Italia to have infringed Article 2 of the Italian Competition Act n. 287/90, corresponding to (...)

The US District Court for the Southern District of New York allows a claim of alleged manipulation of foreign exchange rates to go forward, distinguishing the case from the LIBOR ones (FX Benchmark rates)
Siemens (New York)
United States 21 contributions 7454 visits
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Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler (New York)
United States 2 contributions 444 visits
Motion to Dismiss Denied in FX Rigging Case* A federal judge in New York on Wednesday allowed a consolidated class action by U.S.-based investors concerning the rigging of the foreign exchange (FX) market to move forward. In denying a motion to dismiss, U.S. District Judge Lorna G. Schofield (...)

The Japan Fair Trade Commission issues a cease and desist order against members of an association and imposes surcharges on them for having substantially restrained competition in the market of the concrete products (Abashiri Concrete Products Association)
Japan Fair Trade Commission (Tokyo)
Japan 126 contributions 22041 visits
The JFTC issued cease and desist order to Abashiri Concrete Products Association and surcharge payment orders to members of the Association* The Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) today issued cease and desist order to Abashiri Concrete Products Association (hereinafter referred to as the (...)

The Spanish Competition Authority fines thirty-nine companies and three trade associations active in the waste management and urban sanitation for collusive practices and anticompetitive agreements (FCC / CESPA / Urbaser / Valoriza..)
Callol, Coca & Asociados (Madrid)
Spain 161 contributions 43432 visits
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Callol, Coca & Asociados (Madrid)
Spain 65 contributions 21398 visits
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Callol, Coca & Asociados (Madrid)
Spain 61 contributions 3346 visits
The National Markets and Competition Commission (NMCC) has imposed fines totalling EUR 98.2 million on 39 companies and three trade associations active in the waste management and urban sanitation in Spain (Decision of 8 January 2015, file S/0429/12). According to the Directorate of (...)

The Italian Competition Authority decides that commitments submitted by pharmaceutical companies in order to alleviate competition concerns should have been published (Arca / Novartis-Italfarmaco)
European Commission - DG COMP (Brussels)
Belgium 11 contributions 6390 visits
The Italian Competition Authority (AGCM) decided that, according to Art. 14-ter of Italian Law 287/1990, the commitments that Novartis and Italfarmaco had submitted in order to alleviate concerns in terms of an alleged infringement of Art. 101 TFEU, should have been published, both in its (...)

The Slovak Competition Authority imposes fines on several banks for having coordinated their activities when providing financial services
Slovak Competition Authority (Bratislava)
Slovakia 50 contributions 4741 visits
AMO SR fined the undertaking in banking sector* On December 19, 2014 the Division of Cartels issued a decision imposing a fine in the total amount of EUR 185 939 on the undertaking acting in banking sector in the Slovak Republic. The findings of the Office show that during the years of 2010, (...)

The Latvian Competition Authority imposes fines on dealers and importer of cars for their participation to a cartel (Autocentrs, Moller Auto Krasta)
Latvian Competition Council (Riga)
Latvia 115 contributions 21918 visits
The CC Fines Dealers of Volkswagen for 7.6 Million Euros* On 15 December, the Competition Council (CC) of Latvia imposed fines to official dealers and importer of Volkswagen cars in Latvia for taking part in a cartel. For at least five years undertakings systematically coordinated their (...)

The Belgian Competition Authority dismisses instruction regarding potential concerted practices in the energy sector regarding passing on practices of green certificates fine amounts (Green Certificates)
Covington & Burling (Brussels)
Belgium 14 contributions 5456 visits
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Liège University (Liège)
Belgium 1 contribution 210 visits
I. The Parties Lampiris SA is a Belgian company which main activity consists in the supply of electricity and natural gas. EDF Luminus SA is a company which activity consist in the production of electricity, its gross commerce, and the supplyi of electricity and natural gas. The company is a (...)

The Hungarian Competition Authority imposes fines on several driving schools for concerting on the prices of their trainings (ATI Autóközlekedési Tanintézet)
Hungarian Competition Authority (Budapest)
Hungary 85 contributions 17256 visits
The driving schools in Győr have concerted the price of their trainings* According to the decision of the Hungarian Competition Authority (Gazdasági Versenyhivatal – GVH), the ATI Autóközlekedési Tanintézet Kft., "BILUX" Győr-Moson-Sopron Megyei Gépjárművezető Kft., HORVÁTH TANODA Oktató és (...)

The EU Commission appeals a Belgian Court’s judgement in a cartel damages case (Otis / KONE / Schindler / ThyssenKrupp)
Hausfeld (London)
United Kingdom 10 contributions 4560 visits
European Commission’s damages litigation illustrates challenges in domestic regimes pre-implementation of the Damages Directive* In January 2015 the European Commission announced its intention to appeal a judgment of the Belgian Commercial Court which dismissed the Commission’s claim for €6 (...)

The Spanish Competition Authority fines companies for their participation to a cartel in the recovery and sale of waste paper and cardboard sector (Unión de empresas de recuperación)
European Commission (Brussels)
Belgium 714 contributions 214356 visits
CNMC Fines Companies for Cartel in Recovery and Sale of Waste Paper and Cardboard* On 19 November 2014, the Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia (CNMC) imposed fines amounting to € 3 830 000 on 14 companies active in recovery and sale of waste paper and cardboard for an (...)

The French Competition Authority allows a subsidiary to opt for a national settlement procedure even though its parent company challenges the charges of a cartel (AGS Martinique / Mobilitas)
Dazi Avocats (Paris)
13 contributions 15401 visits
In a decision issued on November 18th, 2014 , the French competition authority (hereafter the "FCA") fined three removal companies for having colluded in presenting cover quotes in the military personnel removal sector in Martinique. National regulatory provisions set a competitive process for (...)

The French Competition Authority imposes fines on three removal companies for having presented cover quotes to distort competition in the military personnel relocation removals market (AGS Martinique / Mobilitas)
French Competition Authority (Paris)
France 709 contributions 361177 visits
The Autorité de la concurrence fines three removal companies for having colluded in presenting cover quotes* The Autorité de la concurrence has issued a decision in which it fines three removal companies for having presented cover quotes in order to distort competition in the military personnel (...)

The Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority proposes to fine a power line builder for participating in a cartel (Eltel and Empower)
Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority (Helsinki)
Finland 72 contributions 11871 visits
The FCCA proposes a EUR 35 million fine on power line builder Eltel for participating in a cartel* The Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority (FCCA) today submitted a proposal to the Market Court to impose a fine of EUR 35 million on Eltel Networks Oy and Eltel Group Oy (hereinafter (...)

The Indian Competition Authority imposes penalties on companies for price-fixing through circulation of daily price bulletins amongst themselves and limitation of supply (Indian Sugar Mills)
Chandhiok & Mahajan (New Delhi)
India 12 contributions 2368 visits
Guest Post From India: “Of Price Bulletins and Dawn Raids”* Trade associations seem to be the flavor of the day for the CCI these days. Less than 4 days after passing an order fining the Chemists and Druggists Association, Goa, the Competition Commission of India (the “CCI”) has imposed penalties (...)

The EU Commission imposes fines of nearly €94 million on four major banks for collusive behaviors (RBS / JPMorgan / UBS / Credit Suisse)
Alston & Bird (London)
Belgium 6 contributions 1761 visits
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United Kingdom’s Competition Authority (CMA) (London)
United Kingdom 2 contributions 648 visits
European Commission Settles Two Swiss Franc-Related Derivatives Investigations* The European Commission has settled two cartel investigations and sanctioned four major banks in the Swiss Franc-related derivatives market, imposing total fines of approximately 94 million euros, for violations of (...)

The Spanish Competition Authority fines manufacturers of pallets and sectoral association in cartel case (EUR/EPAL and CALIPAL)
European Commission (Brussels)
Belgium 714 contributions 214356 visits
CNMC Fines Manufacturers of Pallets and Sectoral Association in Cartel Case* On 22 September 2014, the Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia (CNMC) imposed fines totalling € 4 730 000 on 24 companies operating on the Spanish EUR/EPAL quality-controlled wooden pallet market and the (...)