Today, the European Commission decided to fine five car manufacturers - Daimler, BMW, as well as Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche, which are part of the Volkswagen concern for 875 million euros.
According to the commission, these car manufacturers have conspired illegally to restrict competition in diesel vehicle emissions cleaning technologies.
This is the first decision of the regulator of its kind, in which cooperation on technical issues, as opposed to price fixing or market division, is recognized as cartel behavior.
All companies admitted their involvement in the cartel and agreed to settle the case.
I handed over the entire scheme to Daimler, who informed the European Commission about the existence of the cartel and therefore received full immunity from fines.
For more than five years, car manufacturers have deliberately avoided competition in the field of exhaust gas treatment, despite the availability of appropriate technologies.
European laws establish minimum cleaning standards that all manufacturers must comply with. But this still leaves producers with enough room to compete to do more than is required, the European Commission concluded.
