Beer cartel (Germany)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

As beer cartel are price fixing several breweries designated in 2006 and of 2008. It is the largest cartel in German beer history.

Cartel implementation

The cartel was implemented on several levels. First, nationally active breweries discussed price increases and their magnitude in joint meetings and bilateral contacts. Then some of the nationally active breweries (AB InBev, Veltins and Warsteiner ) agreed on these price increases with regional breweries active in North Rhine-Westphalia at meetings of the North Rhine-Westphalian Brewery Association in June 2006 and September 2007. The breweries involved in the cartel agreed to raise the prices for draft beer in 2006 and 2008 by five to seven euros per hectolitre. According to the Federal Cartel Office, a price increase was agreed for bottled beer in 2008, which should lead to an increase in the price of the 20-bottle crate by one euro.

Fines

In 2014, the Federal Cartel Office imposed two fines totaling 338 million euros . Bitburger , Krombacher , Veltins , Warsteiner and Ernst Barre had to pay 106.5 million euros . 231.2 million euros Carlsberg Germany , the Radeberger Group , the Bolten Brewery , the Erzquell Brewery , Cölner Hofbräu Früh , the private brewery Gaffel Becker & Co and the Association of Rheinisch-Westfälischer Breweries e. V. The breweries had cooperated with the Cartel Office on the basis of a bonus scheme, which had a mitigating effect on the penalty. The key witness Anheuser-Busch InBev went unpunished.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c First fines imposed on beer brewers in cartel proceedings. Federal Cartel Office. January 13, 2014.
  2. ↑ a b Millions in fines for breweries: The most important facts about the illegal beer cartel. In: Spiegel Online. Retrieved February 16, 2014.
  3. ↑ Gossip about the beer price. Three-digit million fine for German breweries. In: Focus . January 13, 2014.
  4. ↑ Antitrust proceedings against brewers concluded with further fines
  5. ↑ Price fixing: Cartel Office imposes a fine of millions on breweries . In: Spiegel Online. Retrieved February 16, 2014.