EU court confirms €59m cartel fine against France's Arkema

17 May 2011 22:01  [Source: ICIS news]

LONDON (ICIS)--The General Court of the EU has upheld a €59m ($84m) fine against French chemicals producer Arkema and its former parent Elf Aquitaine for participating in a sodium chlorate cartel, it said on Tuesday.

The court dismissed Arkema’s action for annulment of the European Commission’s ruling, saying the commission had acted in accordance with EU law, particularly since the company had infringed EU competition law before, which resulted in the fine being increased by 90%.

The European Commission had imposed the fine in 2008, saying that the cartel allocated sales volumes, fixed prices and exchanged commercially-sensitive information from May 1995 to February 2000.

In 2000, Elf Aquitaine merged with French oil major Total. In 2006, Total spun off the Arkema chemicals business. 

($1 = €0.70)

For more on Arkema and other producers visit ICIS company intelligence

By: Stefan Baumgarten
+1 713 525 2653

For the latest chemical news, data and analysis that directly impacts your business sign up for a free trial to ICIS news - the breaking online news service for the global chemical industry.

Get the facts and analysis behind the headlines from our market leading weekly magazine: sign up to a free trial to ICIS Chemical Business.

Printer Friendly