Dismantling major cartels
The leniency programme has met with success in Europe. Sometimes as a result of a change in governance, or simply out of fear of being left behind, undertakings apply to benefit from the programme, in order to secure their position and start afresh.
In France, the leniency programme has helped to dismantle cartels that were harmful to the economy and consumers alike, in a wide variety of sectors.
Here is a look back at some of the decisions handed down.
2024
Pre-cast concrete
The Autorité sanctioned four anticompetitive agreements and imposed total fines of €76,645,000 on 11 companies.
2023
Nuclear decommissioning
The Autorité fined six companies for anticompetitive agreements in calls for tender organised by the French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA).
2023
Company databases
The Autorité sanctioned price-fixing and client allocation practices committed over a period of more than 30 years by two companies, in the sector for the sale of subscriptions to economic intelligence and business information products.
2021
Sandwiches
The Autorité fined the three main French manufacturers of industrial sandwiches sold under own-brand labels for having devised and implemented, between September 2010 and September 2016, a plan to share volumes and customers and fix prices.
2020
Ham and cold meats
The Autorité fined a cartel involving 12 companies operating in the ham and cold meats sector.
The companies worked in concert to purchase cuts of ham from slaughterhouses at lower prices and/or fixed the increases to be charged to mass-market retailers on the prices of their cold meat products in their branded and economy ranges.
2019
Fruit compotes
The main fruit-compote manufacturers were fined €58.3 million for pricing agreements and market sharing.
2018
Household appliances
Six major manufacturers were fined €189 million for colluding on increases to their “recommended retail prices”.
2017
Floor coverings
The three leading PVC and linoleum floor covering manufacturers in France were fined €302 million, in particular for colluding on pricing and agreeing not to communicate on the environmental performance of their products.
2015
Parcel delivery
Two anticompetitive agreements in the courier industry were fined €672.3 million. The main cartel involved some 20 companies (and their professional trade associations), which organised round tables to agree on the annual price increases to be charged to their respective customers.
2015
Dairy products
11 manufactures were fined a total of €192.7 million for collusion in the own-brand label market. The manufacturers agreed on the price increases to be announced to distributers and on the arguments to justify the increases.
2014
Wall paper
Seven wallpaper manufacturers were fined €5.2 million for various cartel practices. In particular, the manufacturers exchanged information on future pricing data and on their respective sales growth figures.
2014
Hygiene and cleaning products
Two large-scale cartels between the main hygiene and cleaning product manufacturers were fined nearly €1 billion. The companies coordinated their commercial negotiating positions with supermarket chains and, in particular, their price increases.
2013
Chemicals
Four of the leading distributors of commodity chemicals in France (solvents, alcohols, acids, bleach, etc.) were fined €79 million for price coordination and customer allocation.
2012
Flour
The Autorité fined several anticompetitive agreements in the packaged flour sector a total of €242.4 million: first, a Franco-German cartel between millers in the two countries concerned, aimed at limiting flour imports between France and Germany; and second, two anticompetitive agreements between French millers, aimed at fixing prices, limiting output and allocating customers (supermarkets and hypermarkets and hard-discount retailers).
2011
Laundry detergent
The four main laundry detergent manufacturers in France were fiend €367.9 million for colluding on the prices and promotional rules applied to supermarkets.
2008
Steel products
11 steel trading companies and the main industry association were fined for having implemented a large-scale cartel affecting prices, customers and markets.
2008
Plywood
Six plywood manufacturers were fined for having, on the one hand, implemented a common product price scale within their professional organisation and, on the other, coordinated their price increases over several years, with a view to distorting competition on the market.
2007
International removals
12 removal companies were fined for fixing the prices of certain services and providing bogus quotes for the removal of military personnel, with a view to distorting competition on the market.
2006
Door manufacturing
Nine companies in the wooden door manufacturing sector were fined for price fixing.