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

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 manufacture and retail sale of paint and construction products had infringed the prohibition of anti-competitive cooperation by agreeing or coordinating a collective boycott of certain evaluation systems or by exchanging strategic information. The investigation was initiated on the basis of email correspondences, which were started by Jotun Sverige AB (“Jotun”) and directed to members