Commercial vehicle manufacturers: civil cartel investigation
Office of Fair Trading (OFT) closed Competition Act 1998 civil cartel investigation.
Case reference: CE/9349-10
Summary of work
- The OFT has decided to close its civil investigation into suspected cartel behaviour amongst commercial vehicle manufacturers. Following a detailed review of the available evidence and discussions with the European Commission, the OFT has concluded that the European Commission is particularly well placed to take the investigation forward as part of its wider investigation into the European truck industry and is confident that it will do so as a matter of priority.
- Following initial enquiries on the basis of its own intelligence activities, the OFT launched a formal investigation in September 2010. The European Commission subsequently announced in January 2011 that it was carrying out unannounced inspections at the premises of companies active in the truck industry in several Member States.
- The OFT has cooperated closely with the European Commission throughout its investigation and will continue to do so. In particular, the OFT will make available to the European Commission relevant information on its file.
- The OFT has not reached any view as to whether or not the parties involved have breached competition law.
- This decision to close the investigation on the grounds of administrative priority does not prevent the OFT from deciding, in consultation with the European Commission, to re-open the investigation at a later date in the light of new information or a change of circumstances.
Note
The OFT investigation was launched in parallel with a separate criminal investigation under the cartel provisions of the Enterprise Act 2002 that was closed in December 2011.