Press Release: Antitrust: Commission re-adopts cartel decision in concrete reinforcing bar sector and fines eight Italian companies over €83 million

The European Commission re-adopted a decision on a cartel in the concrete reinforcing bar sector in Italy, following the annulment of the previous decision by the Court of First Instance on 25 October 2007 for procedural reasons. The new decision imposes a total of fines of €83,250,000 on Alfa Acciai, Ferriere Nord, Feralpi, IRO, Leali, Lucchini, Riva Fire and Valsabbia for participating in the cartel, in violation of Article 65 of the ECSC Treaty, in force at that time. The companies fixed various elements of the price of reinforcing bars, used for strengthening columns and other concrete structures in buildings, and limited or controlled the output and sales. The infringement lasted from December 1989 to May 2000. With one small exception, the fines adopted on 30 September 2009 were the same as those in the original decision.

European Commission: MEMO/09/427: Antitrust: Commission action against cartels – Questions and answers http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/09/427&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

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