Press Release: Competition: Commission imposes fines of EUR344.5 million on producers of acrylic glass for price fixing

The European Commission on 31 May 2006 decided that Arkema (formerly Atofina), Degussa, ICI, Lucite and Quinn Barlo (formerly Barlo) had violated the EC Treaty rules’ ban on restrictive business practices (Article 81) by participating in a cartel on the market for acrylic glass. Four of these companies (Total/Elf Aquitaine/Arkema, Lucite, ICI and Quinn Barlo) were therefore fined a total of €344,562,500. Arkema and ICI had their fines increased by 50% as they were repeat offenders. Degussa, also a repeat offender, would have been fined had it not received full immunity from fines under the Commission’s leniency regime for being first to provide information about the cartel. The five companies agreed, fixed and monitored (target) prices for acrylic glass and exchanged commercially important and confidential information in the European Economic Area (EEA) between 1997 and 2002. Acrylic glass is widely used inter alia in cars, DVDs, lenses, household appliances, electronics, baths and showers.