Spain’s competition commission, the CNC, has imposes the sanctions in respect to an asphalt cartel. The fines totalling €16m are being imposed on 12 business that had shared out the market for hot bituminous mixes and related products in the provinces of León and Burgos and in the Basque Country.
Grupo Campezo, Orsa and Copris had previously been sanctioned by the Basque Country Competition Tribunal in 2008 in relation to a price-fixing agreement during 2001 and 2002. The CNC Council has now taken account of the repeated commissioning of offences under and increased the fine imposed on them by 15%. Teconsa’s fine has been increased by 5%, due to its resistance to producing turnover figures requested by the CNC.
CNC has ruled that there was proof of a very serious breach of article 1 of the Spanish Competition Act, consisting of the creation of a cartel aimed at sharing out the supply of asphalt for project sundertaken by public authorities. The cartel was proved to have operated in León, Burgos and the Basque Country from February 2007 until, at least, October 2009.
The sanctions for the companies are as follows:
- Campezo Asfaltos de Castilla y León, SLU (formerly Oscal Obras y Servicios), a fine of €866,535, for which its parent, Grupo Campezo Obras y Servicios, SL., is jointly and severally liable;
- Campezo Construcción, SAU, a fine of €7,036,341, for which its parent, Grupo Campezo Obras y Servicios, SL, is jointly and severally liable;
- Guipasa, SA, a fine of €3,660,471, for which its parent, Grupo Campezo Obras y Servicios, SL, is jointly and severally liable;
- Tebycon, SA, a fine of €294,117, for which its parent, Grupo Arconte 2000, SL, is jointly and severally liable;
- Conalvi, SL, a fine of €82,476, for which its parent, Grupo Arconte 2000, SL, is jointly and severally liable;
- Compañía General de Hormigones y Asfaltos, SA (Gehorsa), a fine of €524,644.Asfaltos Vidal Ferrero, SL, a fine of €595,154;
- Aglomerados León, SL, a fine of €479,446, for which its parent, Firmes y Caminos, SA, is jointly and severally liable;
- Construcción y Obras Llorente, SA (Collosa), a fine of €238,904, for which its parent, Corporación Llorente Muñoz, SL, is jointly and severally liable;
- Tecnología de la Construcción, SA (Teconsa), a fine of €564,245;
- Excavaciones y Transportes Orsa, SL, a fine of €2,065,590;
- Construcciones Públicas Coprisa, SA, a fine of €250,465.
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