Press Release: Antitrust: Commission fines producers of foam for mattresses, sofas and car seats € 114 million in cartel settlement

On 29 January 2014 the European Commission found that the four major producers of flexible polyurethane foam - Vita, Carpenter, Recticel and Eurofoam - participated in a cartel and imposed fines totalling € 114 077 000. The aim of the cartel was to pass on raw material price increases of bulk chemicals to customers and avoid aggressive price competition between the four producers. In order to achieve this goal, the cartelists organised price coordination meetings at all levels of European management.