Share

EU imposes record cartel fine on Philips

Brussels - The European Commission imposed the biggest antitrust penalty in its history on Wednesday, fining six firms including Philips, LG Electronics and Samsung SDI a total of €1.47bn for running two cartels for nearly a decade.

The Commission said executives from the European and Asian companies met until six years ago to fix prices and divide up markets for TV and computer monitor cathode-ray tubes, technology now mostly made obsolete by flat screens.

Between 1996 and 2006 they met in Paris, Rome, Amsterdam and in Asia for "green meetings", so-called because they often ended in a round of golf.

The EU antitrust regulator imposed the biggest penalty, of €313.4m, on Dutch-based Philips for its role in fixing prices and carving up markets. LG Electronics of South Korea must pay the second biggest fine, set at €295.6m.

"These cartels for cathode-ray tubes are 'textbook cartels': they feature all the worst kinds of anti-competitive behaviour that are strictly forbidden to companies doing business in Europe," EU Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said in a statement.

Taiwanese firm Chunghwa Picture Tubes blew the whistle on the cartels in TV and computer monitors and escaped a fine.

The Commission also fined Panasonic €157.5m, Samsung SDI €150.8m, Toshiba €28m, and French company Technicolor €38.6m.

A joint venture between Philips and LG Electronics was penalised €391.9m while two Panasonic joint ventures were also sanctioned.

Almunia said the violations were especially harmful for consumers, as cathode-ray tubes accounted for 50% to 70% of the price of a screen.

Cathode-ray tubes have largely been replaced by more advanced display technologies such as liquid-crystal display (LCD), plasma display and organic light-emitting diodes.

Philips said it would make a provision of €509m in the fourth quarter for the fine, but Chief Executive Frans van Houten also said the group would challenge what he called the disproportionate and unjustified penalty. Philips sold off the business which committed the infringement in 2001.

ING analyst Fabian Smeets told ANP-Reuters that the sanction was significant, but expected. Philips' shares were down 0.2% to €20 in mid-session, erasing earlier gains after news of the fines.

Technicolor said the fine, which will be booked as an exceptional item in its second-half accounts, would not affect its 2012 earnings and free cash flow targets.

Until now, the Commission's biggest antitrust penalty had been a €1.38bn fine imposed on participants in a car glass cartel in 2008.

The Commission's sanctions followed a total fine of €128.74m levied last year against four producers of the glass used in cathode-ray tubes.

Chunghwa Picture Tubes, Samsung Electronics, LG Display and three other LCD companies were penalised a total €648m two years ago for taking part in a cartel.
We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Rand - Dollar
19.00
-0.3%
Rand - Pound
24.14
-0.1%
Rand - Euro
20.64
-0.2%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.38
+0.3%
Rand - Yen
0.13
+0.5%
Platinum
910.20
-1.4%
Palladium
1,008.00
-5.4%
Gold
2,157.44
-0.1%
Silver
24.95
-0.4%
Brent Crude
86.89
+1.8%
Top 40
66,252
0.0%
All Share
72,431
0.0%
Resource 10
53,317
0.0%
Industrial 25
100,473
0.0%
Financial 15
16,622
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Company Snapshot
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE
Government tenders

Find public sector tender opportunities in South Africa here.

Government tenders
This portal provides access to information on all tenders made by all public sector organisations in all spheres of government.
Browse tenders