Big milliardbøde: Formed the cartel with the sale of seat belts

If you've ever looked closely at the belt tensioners or the airbag in your car, it is very likely that you have encountered names such as Takata, Autoliv or TRW.

All three companies are long standing suppliers of security equipment for cars from, among others, the BMW and the VW group, and although they are competitors, they have apparently cooperated in a number of years.

The three companies have admitted that they have formed an illegal cartel activity in order to increase their profits, and get two of them now, a fine of eur 2.7 billion. the crowns of the EUROPEAN commission.

This writes the news agency Reuters.

The third company, Takata, yesterday, according to a press release from the EU-commission free from a fine of approximately 1,45 billion. crowns, because the company tipped the commission on karteldannelsen.

the Commission then examined how the three companies have collaborated on the sale of seatbelts, airbags and steering wheels for the BMW Group and the Volkswagen group. Automakers, which also stands behind brands such as Mini, Skoda, Audi and Seat.

According to the press release began karteldannelsen way back in 2007, and the cooperation continued until 2011. In that period, the three companies exchanged sensitive commercial information and coordinated strategies, which according to the EU's Danish competition commissioner, Margrethe Vestager, has gone beyond the producers - and ultimately consumers.

Components such as seat belts and airbags are essential for the safety of the millions of people who use their car to drive to work or put the kids of at school every day. The three vendors have made secret agreements in order to increase their profits by the sale of these life-saving components, she says in the press release and adds:

- These cartels have ultimately harmed european consumers and had a negative impact on the competitiveness of the european automotive industry, which has about 13 million people employed in the EU.

The two subcontractors that must be shared about the great milliardbøde, was to begin with to receive a larger rap on the knuckles.

They have, however, been a reduction of 10 percent, because they have admitted the wrongdoing and cooperated with the commission during the investigation.

the Case is part of a larger EU study of the cooperation between sub-suppliers in the european automotive industry. The commission writes in a press release, that there have so far issued fines for eur 2.15 billion. the euro equivalent to eur 16 billion. crowns.

Takata and Autoliv also came in the EUROPEAN commission's spotlight for cartels with three other companies back in 2017. Here it was about the sales of safety equipment to the japanese automakers.