A total of 15 automakers in Europe are subject to fines amounting to €458 million for collusion in recycling of used units.

There is talk of a cartel in which Stellantis, Mitsubishi, Ford, BMW, Hyundai/Kia, Jaguar Land Rover/Tata, Mazda, Renault/Nissan, Opel, General Motors, Suzuki, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Volvo participated for 15 years. Mercedes-Benz was not sanctioned, although it was part of the group because it had reported its existence.

The European Commission, the EU’s executive branch, announced the fine on Tuesday, April 1, noting that “these car manufacturers coordinated for more than 15 years to avoid paying for recycling services.”

EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera issued a statement with the information, indicating that the 15 companies “acknowledged their participation and responsibility in the cartel, and therefore benefited from reduced fines.”

It was learned that in addition to the manufacturers, the Commission “also fined the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA).”

Regarding the crime, it is based on so-called End-of-Life Vehicles; that is, vehicles that are no longer suitable for use. “These vehicles must be dismantled and processed for recycling and disposal. According to the Commission, the investigation confirmed that ACEA was the facilitator of the cartel.”

Investigators found a single and continuous breach of European Competition rules that extended from May 2002 to September 2017, during which time manufacturers “agreed to classify the recycling of end-of-life vehicles as a sufficiently profitable business, allowing them to avoid paying companies that dismantle them for their services.”

M.Pino

Source: DW

(Reference image: Guillaume Périgois on Unsplash)

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