Carlsberg may end up having to swallow a significantly larger fine than previously thought in a high-profile German cartel case.
The typing of the e-newspaper Finance on Thursday.
The state prosecutor in the court of appeal in Dusseldorf now requires that the Danish bryggerikoncern have to pay 250 million in fines, equivalent to 1.9 billion crowns.
It is four times as much as the German competition authority demanded in a fine – a punishment that Carlsberg chose to appeal.
Carlsberg was involved in the case in 2014, since the German competition authorities accused 11 breweries, a trade association and 14 persons for illegal to agree on price increases on beer in the German market.
It amazes me that Carlsberg went ahead with the case, now when they are a publicly traded company. You will need to be a very brave company to go out there, ” says Johann Brück, who is a lawyer in competition law at the German law firm of the others, der Wagner Brück, to Finance.
in addition to Carlsberg and storbryggeriet Radeberger accepted all defendants fines.
But a few days before the appelsagens beginning pulled Radeberger from the appeal precisely because of the risk of a gigantbøde.
A recent German case law means that the appellate court judges calculates the fines based on criteria other than the competition authorities.
It has in the last years of antitrust cases led to significantly higher fines for the companies, which have lost an appeal.
in Addition, the reasons the prosecutor opposite Finance the higher penalty for Carlsberg that the cartel allegedly lasted for four years – not only two as first thought.
Carlsberg, who do not want to comment on the matter, stands firm on his innocence, and the company has in its accounts does not set aside money for a possible fine.
If bryggerikoncernen loses the case, will a milliardbøde therefore ripping off a very large chunk of the result, writes the Financial.