Scania to appeal EC ‘cartel’ fine

Volkswagen subsidiary Scania has vowed to appeal against a decision by the European Commission (EC) to fine it more than €880 million, after finding that the manufacturer broke EU price-fixing rules in collusion with other major truck-makers.

The decision to fine Scania follows a settlement reached last year concerning a truck cartel in which MAN, DAF, Mercedes-Benz parent firm Daimler, Iveco and Volvo/Renault were said to have colluded over a 14-year-period. It brings the total fines handed down by the EC in the matter to a record €3.8 billion.

Four of the five firms that settled the case with the EC last year received reduced fines as a result, while MAN, which is also owned by VW, avoided a fine because it alerted the commission to the cartel. Unlike the other manufacturers, Scania declined to settle the case, leading to a continued investigation.

“Scania has reviewed today’s decision by the EC concerning inappropriate exchange of information during the period of 1997-2011, and will appeal against it,” the company said in a press statement.

“Scania strongly contests all the findings and allegations made by the EC, and will appeal against the decision in its entirety.

“Scania also emphasises that it has cooperated fully with the EC by providing it with requested information and explanations throughout the entire investigation period.”

The Road Haulage Association (RHA) chief executive Richard Burnett said: “Today’s massive fine on Scania confirms how serious the EU truck cartel was…

“However, the fine does nothing to compensate truck operators for the increased costs they have suffered because of the cartel.  The RHA is leading the way in the UK to obtain compensation for the haulage industry and has almost 2,000 operators signed up to its group claim.

“I hope the fine on Scania today will persuade those truck operators who have not yet signed up to the RHA’s claim (perhaps because they purchased or leased Scania trucks) now to do so.”