In The News

CMA fines model agencies £1.5 million for price collusion

The CMA has imposed fines totalling £1,533,500 on 5 model agencies and their trade association for colluding on prices. Click here.

EU

Articles 101 and 102

  • The General Court has dismissed appeals by Infineon and Philips against the European Commission's smart card chips cartel decision. Click here.

Mergers

  • The European Commission has sent a Statement of Objections to Facebook alleging the company provided incorrect or misleading information during the Commission's 2014 investigation of Facebook's planned acquisition of WhatsApp. Click here.
  • The European Commission has approved the proposed acquisition of WhiteWave, a US-based manufacturer of packaged foods and beverages, by the French Danone group. The clearance is conditional on the divestment of Danone's "growing-up milk" business in Belgium. Click here.

UK

CMA

  • The CMA has accepted undertakings from Dover to remedy competition concerns in the fuel pumps sector arising from its merger with Wayne. Dover has agreed to sell Wayne's UK distribution business to Petrotec S.G.P.S. S.A., which the CMA considers to be a suitable purchaser. Click here.
  • The CMA has found that Menzies' acquisition of ASIG may give rise to competition concerns over ground handling services at Aberdeen Airport. The parties now have the opportunity to offer undertakings in lieu of the acquisition being referred for a Phase 2 investigation. Click here.
  • The CMA has issued a statement of objections to the Showmen's Guild of Great Britain alleging that some of its current rules protect existing Guild showmen from competition and reduce the potential for new attractions to join fairs. Click here.
  • The CMA has issued final decisions imposing fines over £2.7 million on suppliers of galvanised steel tanks for price fixing, market sharing, bid rigging and information exchange. This follows a settlement announced in March 2016 and a formal statement of objections in May 2016. Click here.
  • The CMA has provisionally found that Diebold's acquisition of Wincor may reduce competition in the supply of customer-operated cashpoints in the UK. Click here.

CAA

  • The Civil Aviation Authority has issued a decision that East Midlands International Airport Limited and Prestige Parking Limited broke competition law by agreeing to fix prices of car parking services at East Midlands International Airport. This follows the Statement of Objections issued earlier this month. Click here.