Brussels, 10/07/2013 (Agence Europe) - Concluding an investigation launched in 2010, the European Commission, on 10 July, imposed fines totalling €141.79 million on the car parts suppliers Sumitomo, Yazaki, Furukawa, S-Y Systems Technologies (SYS) and Leoni for operating five cartels in the supply of wire harnesses to Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Renault. The companies involved coordinated the prices and allocation of supplies of wire harnesses to the respective car manufacturers. The cartel contacts took place both in Japan and in the European Economic Area. For Toyota and Honda, participants -Sumitomo, Yazaki and Furukawa - rigged a series of tenders for the supply of wire harnesses, including all tenders for supplies to the European manufacturing facilities published during the cartel period (from March 2000 2 August 2009 for Toyota and from March 2001 to September 2009 for Honda). In the three cartels concerning Nissan and Renault, the participants - Sumitomo and Yazaki for Nissan; Sumitomo, SYS and Leoni for two mergers concerning Renault - rigged, or attempted to rig, single tendering procedures over a period from September 2004 to September 2009 (variable depending on the cartel and the participants) for certain specific models. The following fines were handed down for these infringements: €125.341 million for Yazaki (3 infringements), €4.105 million for Furukawa (2 infringements), €11.057 million for SYS (2 infringements) and €1.378 million for Leoni (one infringement). Sumitomo escaped without a fine despite its involvement in all five cartels, as it revealed the existence of the cases and therefore benefitted from immunity. The fines on the other participants were also reduced as they acknowledged their participation. (FG/transl.fl)