EC welcomes judgment in rubber cartel case

ERJ staff report (RD)

Brussels - The European commission has welcomed a judgment by the Court of First Instance confirming the EC's decision against the Spanish companies General Quimica SA, Repsol YPF SA and Repsol Quimica SA of December 2005, including total fines of around Euro 75 million, the Commission said 18 Dec.

In the contested decision the Commission found that the applicant, among other undertakings, had infringed Article 81(1) of the EC Treaty on restrictive business practices by participating, between 1999-2000, in a cartel and concerted practices consisting in price-fixing and the exchange of confidential information in the rubber chemicals sector.

The Court of First Instance held that Repsol YPF S.A. and Repsol Quimica S.A., although they did not participate themselves in the arrangements in question, are responsible for the conduct of their wholly owned subsidiary General Quimica S.A. The other companies fined did not appeal the Commission decision.

The investigation into the rubber chemicals sector began following an application for conditional immunity from fines by Flexsys NV in April 2002. Subsequently, the Commission carried out inspections at the premises of Bayer AG, Crompton Europe and General Quimica S.A. in September 2002.

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Press release from Europa