EU: Packaging firms fined for antitrust violations

The European Commission has fined a group of European packaging manufacturers and distributors a total of 115.9 million euros for having participated in “at least one of five separate cartels” across the Continent.

The manufacturers are Linpac Group of Featherstone, England; Huhtamäki Oyj of Espoo, Finland; French molder Nespak of Ornans, and Vitembal of Remoulins; Italy’s Coopbox Italia Srl of Bibbiano, Magic Pack Srl of Prosus and Sirap-Gema SpA from Verolanuova; and Silver Plastics GmbH & Co. KG of Troisdorf, Germany.

The distributors involved are Propack of Huddersfield, England, and Ovarpack from Ovar, Portugal.

The EC’s antitrust commission said that between March 2000 and February 2008 the companies “fixed prices and allocated customers of polystyrene foam or polypropylene rigid trays, in breach of antitrust rules.”

The EC said it had granted Linpac full immunity under leniency guidelines since it had revealed the existence of the cartels to the Commission.

Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, in charge of competition policy, said millions of consumers buying food for themselves and their families could have been affected by the cartels.

Full content: Food Production Daily.com

Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.