Spain: Competition watchdog fines 5 companies in battery cartel

Spain’s National Commission for Markets and Competition (CNMC) has concluded an investigation against five companies accused of forming a price-fixing cartel in the used car-battery market. The agency carried out raids on the offices of Azor Ambiental SL., Exide Technologies SLU and their parent company, Exide Holding Europe SAS, and Recobat-Recuperación Ecológica de Baterías SL and their parent company, Layro SA between December 15 and 17, 2015, in search of evidence to support their suspicion of price-fixing.

The CNMC’s probe has found “rational indications of forbidden practices” which violate free competition rules upheld by Spanish and European competition laws. The companies have been found guilty of sharing sensitive information with the aim of “ coordinating or aligning their retail prices.”

The investigation into cartels is one of the CNMC’s top priorities. At the moment none of the companies has come forward to apply for the agency’s leniency programme, which allows for sanctions to be waived in exchange for evidence to support an antitrust investigation.
Full Content: Europa Press

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