The European Commission's Directorate General for Competition has published a very useful document setting out statistics on EU cartel investigations.
The document includes even the recent Trucks case which involved the highest ever individual fines (on Daimler and DAF).
Key highlights include:
- So far in 2016, there have been cartel competition decisions taken against ten "undertakings" (i.e., economic operators or businesses).
- Total fines on cartels imposed between 2012 and Year to Date in 2016 is €8,670,210,000.
- The document sets out the total fines imposed in each year since 2012 (both adjusted and non-adjusted for European Court judgments).
- The document lists the ten highest total and individual cartel fines since 1969 - all of which have been since 2001 which is consistent with the notion that "fine inflation" has increased recently.
- The cases with three of the four highest level of fines have all be in the last four years (see table 1 below).
- The undertakings which had the highest fines are outlined in table 2 below.
1. Cartel Cases with the Highest Fines 1969-2016
| Year | Case | Fine (€) |
| 2016 | Trucks | 2,926,499,000 |
| 2012 | TV and Computer Monitor Tubes | 1,409,588,000 |
| 2008 | Carglass | 1,185,500,000 |
| 2014 | Automotive Bearings | 953,306,000 |
| 2007 | Elevators and Escalators | 832,422,250 |
| 2013 | Euro Interest Rate Derivatives (EIRD) | 824,583,000 |
| 2001 | Vitamins | 790,515,000 |
| 2013-2015 | Yen Interest Rate Derviatives (YIRD) | 684,679,000 |
| 2007-2012 | Gas Insulated Switchgear (Including RE-adoption) | 675,445,000 |
2009 | E.On/GDF Collusion | 640,000,000 |
2. Top Fines on Individual Undertakings 1969-2016 |
Year | Case | Fine (€) |
| 2016 | Daimler | 1,008,766,000 |
| 2016 | DAF | 752,679,000 |
| 2008 | Saint Gobain Car Glass | 715,000,000 |
| 2012 | Phillips TV and Computer Monitor Tubs (of this fine, €391,940,000 jointly and severally with LG Electronics) | 705,296,000 |
| 2012 | LG Electronics TV and Computer Monitor Tubes (of this fine, €391,940,000 jointly and severally with Phillips) | 687,537,000 |
| 2016 | Volvo/Renault Trucks | 670,448,000 |
| 2016 | Iveco Trucks | 496,606,000 |
2013 | Deutsche Bank Euro Interest Rate Derivatives (EIRD) | 465,861,000 |
| 2001 | F, Hoffmann-La Roche Vitamins | 462,000,000 |
| 2007 | Siemens Gas Insulated Switchgear
| 396,562,000 |
| Some of the more recent fines may be adjusted in due course on appeal to the General Court/Court of Justice of the European Union but it is clear that more recent fines are clearly much higher than earlier fines. For more information click here. |
For further information contact Dr Vincent Power or any member of A&L Goodbody's EU, Competition and Procurement Group.
