14/07/2008 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 1 July 2008, the EU Court of First Instance ruled that a company facilitating an illegal cartel but not directly involved in it may still be taken to court for infringing Article 81 of the Treaty, which bans such price-fixing cartels. Swiss company AC Treuhand AG (formerly Fides Trust AG) was found guilty by the European Commission in December 2003 of helping introduce and manage illegal price-fixing between three manufacturers of organic peroxides, chemicals used in the plastic and rubber industries. AC Treuhand was fully aware of what it was doing. AC Treuhand appealed to the Court of First Instance against the Commission's decision but its appeal was ruled out of court on the grounds that its activity had infringed anti-competitive behaviour rules, even though Treuhand had not been directly involved in the market in question. The symbolic fine on the company (€1000) was therefore upheld. (C.D.)