Antitrust: Commission fines smart card chips producers € 138 million for cartel

EU News 362/2014

Brussels, 3 September 2014
IP/14/960

The European Commission has found that Infineon, Philips, Samsung and Renesas (at the time a joint venture of Hitachi and Mitsubishi) coordinated their market behaviour for smart card chips in the European Economic Area (EEA), in breach of EU rules that prohibit cartels. The Commission has imposed fines totalling € 138 048 000. The companies colluded through bilateral contacts that took place in the period between September 2003 and September 2005. Renesas benefitted from full immunity under the Commission's 2006 Leniency Notice for revealing the existence of the cartel to the Commission.

Source and additional information:
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_IP-14-960_en.htm?locale=en

Press conference by Joaquín Almunia, Vice-President of the EC, on the fine imposed by the EC to smart card chips producers for their participation in a cartel. Date: 03/09/2014 Reference: P-026155/00-03 Location: Brussels - EC/Berlaymont (C)EU 2014 URL

• Tweet