Setting of Fines for Cartels in ICN Jurisdictions - International ...

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Europe Direct is a service to help you fi nd answers to your questions about the European Union Freephone number (*): 00 800 6 7 8 9 10 11 (*) Certain mobile telephone operators do not allow access to 00 800 numbers or these calls may be billed. More information on the European Union is available on the Internet (http://europa.eu). Cataloguing data can be found at the end of this publication. Luxembourg: Offi ce for Offi cial Publications of the European Communities, 2008 ISBN 978-92-79-08397-6 © European Communities, 2008 Reproduction is authorised provided the source is acknowledged. Printed in Italy PRINTED ON WHITE CHLORINE-FREE PAPER
TABLE OF CONTENT 1. INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 2. PRELIMINARY ISSUES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 2.1 Objectives and “philosophy” behind the imposition of fi nes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 2.2 Legal basis for imposing fi nes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 2.3 Role of the competition agency in setting fi nes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 2.4 Position of fi nes in the “arsenal” of sanctions on cartels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 3. ADDRESSEES OF SANCTIONS AND TRANSPARENCY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 3.1 Addressees of sanctions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 3.2 Transparency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 4. TYPES OF FINE-SETTING SYSTEMS AND UNDERLYING PRINCIPLES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 4.1 Undertakings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 4.2 Individuals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 5. DETERMINATION OF THE BASIC FINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 5.1 Basis for calculation (Percentage of turnover/volume of commerce/market shares/illicit gain) . . 19 5.2 How calculations work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 5.3 In the absence of a basic amount . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 5.4 Duration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 6. AGGRAVATING AND MITIGATING ELEMENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 6.1 Aggravating elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 6.2 Mitigating elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 6.3 Mitigating elements versus leniency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 6.4 Inability to pay – a further aspect to be considered . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 7. LIMITS (MAXIMA AND MINIMA) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 7.1 Legal limits of the fi ne, maxima/minima of the fi ne imposed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 7.2 Legal limits for other types of sanctions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 7.3 Highest fi nes ever imposed on a single company . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 8. INTERACTIONS WITH DIRECT SETTLEMENTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 8.1 Interplay of settlement and fi nes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 8.2 Interplay of the reduction of fi nes for leniency and for settlement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 8.3 Interplay of settlement and deterrence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 9. SUMMARY OF FINDINGS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 9.1 The role of fi nes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 9.2 Key factors for the determination of fi nes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 9.3 Recent evolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 ANNEX 1: ICN QUESTIONNAIRE ON FINES AND FINING METHODOLOGIES IN CARTEL CASES . . . . . . . . . 45 ICN — SETTING OF FINES FOR CARTELS IN ICN JURISDICTIONS 3
Page 1: International Competition Network C
Page 7 and 8: 1. INTRODUCTION 1. INTRODUCTION 5 T
Page 9 and 10: 2. PRELIMINARY ISSUES 2. PRELIMINAR
Page 11 and 12: 2. PRELIMINARY ISSUES 9 prosecuted
Page 13 and 14: 3. ADDRESSEES OF SANCTIONS AND TRAN
Page 15 and 16: 3. ADDRESSEES OF SANCTIONS AND TRAN
Page 17 and 18: 4. TYPES OF FINE-SETTING SYSTEMS AN
Page 19 and 20: 4. TYPES OF FINE-SETTING SYSTEMS AN
Page 21 and 22: 5. DETERMINATION OF THE BASIC FINE
Page 23: 5.3 In the absence of a basic amoun
Page 26 and 27: 24 6. AGGRAVATING AND MITIGATING EL
Page 33 and 34: 7. LIMITS (MAXIMA AND MINIMA) 7.1 L
Page 35 and 36: 7. LIMITS (MAXIMA AND MINIMA) 33
Page 37 and 38: AUSTRIA BRAZIL CANADA CZECH REPUBLI
Page 39 and 40: NETHERLANDS NEW ZEALAND NORWAY RUSS
Page 41 and 42: 8. INTERACTIONS WITH DIRECT SETTLEM
Page 43: 8. INTERACTIONS WITH DIRECT SETTLEM
Page 46 and 47: 44 9. SUMMARY OF FINDINGS 9.2.5 The
Page 48 and 49: 46 ANNEX 1. ICN QUESTIONNAIRE ON FI
Page 50 and 51: European Commission Setting of fi n
Page 52: ISBN 978-92-79-08397-6 KD-30-08-288

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