Competition weekly news summary
26 June 2015


Antitrust

  • Commission fines producers and distributors € 115 865 000 for operating retail food packaging cartels
    24 June 2015
    The Commission has fined eight manufacturers and two distributors of retail food packaging trays a total of €115 865 000 for having participated in one or more of five separate cartels. The eight manufacturers are Huhtamäki of Finland, Nespak and Vitembal of France, Silver Plastics of Germany, Coopbox, Magic Pack and Sirap-Gema of Italy and Linpac of the UK. The two distributors are Ovarpack of Portugal and Propack of the UK. The companies fixed prices and allocated customers of polystyrene foam or polypropylene rigid trays, in breach of EU antitrust rules. Polystyrene foam and polypropylene rigid trays are used for packaging food sold in shops or supermarkets, for products such as cheese, meat, fish or cake. Linpac benefited from full immunity under the Commission's 2006 Leniency Guidelines as it revealed the existence of the cartels to the Commission.
    Commissioner Vestager's statement >
    Commission's press release >
  • Commission sends statement of objections to suspected participants in car battery recycling cartel
    24 June 2015
    The Commission has informed five lead recycling companies that it suspects them of having participated in a purchasing cartel for scrap lead-acid batteries, in breach of EU antitrust rules.
    Commissioner Vestager's statement >
    Commission's press release >

State aid

  • Commission approves support package for gasification plant in Finland
    24 June 2015
    The Commission has concluded that Finnish plans to grant around €10 million of public investment to Vaskiluodon Voima Oy, the operator of a gasification plant in Vaasa, were in line with EU State aid rules. The plant will convert forest biomass (mainly wood chips and a small amount of peat) into gas for electricity generation and district heating instead of using coal. The Commission found that the aid will further EU energy and environmental goals, notably reducing carbon dioxide emissions and dependence on imported coal, whilst maintaining competition in the Single Market.
    Read more >

Court

  • Joined Cases C-293/13 P and C-294/13 P Bananas cartel
    24 June 2015
    The EU Court of Justice ruled on appeals against a General Court judgment of March 2013. The GC had mainly dismissed DelMonte's action for annulment of a Commission decision of 2008 fining DelMonte for its participation in a cartel on the market for bananas in Northern Europe, but had reduced DelMonte's fine. Both, DelMonte and the Commission had appealed the ruling. The EUCJ has now rejected DelMonte's appeal and accepted the Commission's appeal, confirming the Commission's findings regarding DelMonte. The EUCJ held, in particular, that a reply to a simple request for information by the Commission is not sufficient to trigger a fine reduction but that a company needs to show a genuine spirit of cooperation.
    Go to EUCJ judgment >
    Go to GC judgment under appeal >
    Read more about Commission's 2008 decision >
  • Case T-305/13 state aid to SACE
    25 June 2015
    The EU General Court ruled on an action by SACE for the annulment of a Commission decision of March 2013 finding that SACE had received incompatible state aid and needed to pay it back. The GC mainly upheld the Commission's findings, but held that the Commission had not correctly quantified the aid amount for the smallest of the aid measures.
    Go to judgment >
    Read more about Commission's 2013 decision >

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Published by the Competition Directorate General of the European Commission. The content of this publication does not necessarily reflect the official position of the European Commission. Neither the Commission nor any person acting on its behalf is responsible for the use which might be made of the above information.

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