Economy - Prohibited agreements in industrial construction: fines imposed
The German Federal Cartel Office has imposed fines on 14 construction companies and 12 responsible persons for illegal agreements in the awarding of industrial construction contracts. According to the authority, the agreements concerned 42 contracts awarded by Hüttenwerke Krupp Mannesmann, 122 contracts awarded by Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe and 14 contracts awarded by Deutsche Edelstahlwerke between 2007 and 2017. Fines and so-called liability amounts totaling around 4.8 million euros were imposed. "Liability amounts - unlike fines - are not associated with an accusation of a regulatory offense," the statement said on Thursday.
The companies had maintained a system of awarding construction contracts to each other for years, explained Andreas Mundt, President of the authorities. The pattern of the agreements was the same: "The companies involved in the respective agreement first agreed in discussions on site or by telephone who should win the contract," said Mundt. The company in question then initially calculated the order for itself. "It then sent the calculations to the other companies involved in the agreement so that they could submit higher sham bids to protect themselves."
The proceedings were triggered by a leniency application from a construction company. The proceedings against this company were discontinued accordingly. According to the Cartel Office, the fines are already legally binding.
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- The illegal agreements in question occurred predominantly within the German 'Industry' sector, specifically in the field of industrial construction.
- The fines were issued in Bonn, the location of the German Federal Cartel Office, which oversees anti-trust matters in Germany.
- The construction companies involved in these prohibited agreements included notable names such as Hüttenwerke Krupp Mannesmann, Thyssenkrupp Steel Europe, and Deutsche Edelstahlwerke.
- The fine imposed on these companies and responsible individuals amounted to around 4.8 million euros, with liability amounts also being levied that were not associated with an accusation of a regulatory offense.
- Andreas Mundt, President of the Federal Cartel Office, highlighted the long-standing nature of the agreement, stating that the construction companies had maintained this system for years.
Source: www.stern.de
