Pilkington loses court fight against 357 mln euro EU cartel fine

Nippon Sheet Glass

07/09/2016 11:18

BRUSSELS, Sept 7 - UK glass manufacturer Pilkington Group, 
now part of Japan's Nippon Sheet Glass Co  5202.T , has lost its 
appeal against a 357 million-euro ($401  million) cartel fine 
after Europe's top court said EU antitrust regulators had 
calculated the penalty correctly. 
    The European Commission handed down a combined fine of 1.35 
billion euros to Pilkington, French group Saint Gobain  SGOB.PA  
and two other companies in 2008 for price-fixing in the car 
glass market over a five-year period starting from 1998. 
    Pilkington subsequently challenged the decision at a lower 
court, lost and then appealed to the Luxembourg-based Court of 
Justice of the European Union (ECJ). 
    The ECJ upheld the EC ruling, rejecting Pilkington's 
argument that its fine was proportionally higher than the other 
because it is a less diversified company. 
    "The Court of Justice finds that it is not contrary to the 
principles of proportionality and equal treatment that an 
undertaking ... may receive a fine which represents a proportion 
of its overall turnover that is greater than that imposed on the 
other undertakings," judges said.  
    The fine is the third biggest sanction levied by the 
Commission. 
    ($1 = 0.8899 euros) 
 
 (Reporting by Foo Yun Chee; Editing by Greg Mahlich) 
 ((foo.yunchee@thomsonreuters.com)(+32 2 287 6844)(Reuters 
Messaging: foo.yunchee.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)) 
 
Keywords: COURT PILKINGTON/EU ANTITRUST