Update July 2009: The EC has imposed a total of €61.120.000 in fines on nine suppliers of calcium carbide and magnesium based reagents including Germany-based Almamet, Ecka Granulate, Holding Slovenske elektrarne, SKW Stahl-Metallurgie, Austria-based Donau Chemie, Slovakia-based Novácke chemické závody, under Article 81. Netherlands-based Akzo Nobel was not fined despite its participation because it revealed the existence of […]
Author Archives: Steve Semeraro
EC Exanding Probe of Pharmaceutical Industry
June 27, 2008 – 12:11 pm
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that EC antitrust investigators are widening its probe of the pharmaceutical industry, looking at possible unfair tactics that block competition and prop up prices.
Aluminum Fluoride Producers Fined
June 25, 2008 – 10:32 am
June 25, 2008: The European Commission has fined six aluminum fluoride producers for fixing prices during the second half of 2000. Pursuant to the Commission’s 2002 Leniency Program, a Norwegian producer was not fined.
EU Initiates Damages Action Against Lift Company
June 24, 2008 – 12:10 pm
The European Commission has filed cases with the Tribunal de Commerce in Brussels seeking damages from four lifts companies that were previously found to have operated a cartel charging supra-competitive prices for the installation and maintenance of lifts and escalators in its own buildings and those of other EU institutions, both in Brussels and Luxembourg.
EU Investigates Possible Price Fixing in Detergent/Softener Markets
June 20, 2008 – 3:19 pm
The European Commission confirmed that it had conducted unannounced inspections of washing machine and diswasher detergent and softener companies, investigation possible price fixing and other restrictive practices.
FTC Seeks to Block Estimatics Systems Merger
April 1, 2008 – 3:11 pm
Update March 2009: The parties decided to abandon the merger. The FTC voted 3-0 with one Commissioner recusing to challenge the $1.4 billion merger between two of the three providers of systems used to estimate the value of junk autos and crash repairs. The Commission contended that it would lessen competition by making collusion more […]