Brussels, 10/12/2010 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 10 December, the European Commission announced that it was to open an investigation against a number of cement producers from 10 member states of the EU, which it suspects of having operated a cartel.
The countries in question are Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom. As is usual in such cases, the Commission has not revealed the identity of the companies in question. It is, however, worth noting that the Mexican cement producer Cemex, the world number three in the sector, announced on Thursday that it was to be investigated by the Commission for suspected cartel involvement.
The Commission has reason to believe that the cement manufacturers in question indulged in import and export restrictions and agreed to set prices and divide up the market for cement and derivative products. The opening of this investigation comes further to several searches carried out in the sector. In November 2008, the French companies Lafarge and Ciment Français (a subsidiary of the Italian ItalCementi), Holcim of Switzerland and the German companies Dyckerhoff and HeidelbergZement confirmed that some of their sites, across a number of countries, had been visited by inspectors from the competition services of the Commission.
The opening of an investigation does not necessarily mean that the Commission has proof of any wrongdoing. In 2002, Lafarge, the British company BPB, Knauf of Germany and Gyproc of Belgium were fined a total of €478 million for their involvement in a cartel on the plasterboard market. (O.L./transl.fl)