Antitrust: Commission welcomes Court of Justice ruling on South European bananas cartel appeal

The European Commission welcomed on 27 April 2017 Court of Justice's ruling confirming that in proving a cartel the Commission could rely on and use as evidence documents that were legally transmitted to the Commission by national authorities other than competition authorities.

The Commission found that two main banana importers, Chiquita and Pacific Fruit, participated in a cartel between July 2004 and April 2005 in violation of Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU. The cartel members coordinated their price strategy regarding future prices, price levels, price movements and/or price trends and exchanged information on future market conduct regarding prices.

ESO: Background information: Press Release: Antitrust: Commission imposes € 8.9 million fine in banana cartel http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-antitrust-commission-imposes-e-8-9-million-fine-in-banana-cartel/

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