Memo: Antitrust: Commission welcomes Court of First Instance judgments in plasterboard cartel case

The European Commission welcomed the judgments by the European Court of First Instance dismissing the great majority of the actions by four producers of plasterboard against the Commission’s decision in November 2002 fining them for operating a long running cartel on the market for plasterboard in the Benelux countries, Germany, France, and the UK (cases T-50/03, T-52/03, T-53/03 and T-54/03). The Court of First Instance confirmed the existence and duration of the cartel and upheld the fines imposed on all but one addressee. The CFI reduced the level of fine imposed on BPB PLC from € 138.6 million to 118.8 million by granting additional 10% reduction of the fine above the 30% already granted by the Commission on account of cooperation provided by BPB PLC during the investigation. The total fine imposed by the Commission was €478.32 million; following the CFI judgement that has been reduced to €458.52 million. 96% of the fine has therefore been maintained.