Cartel fines cases reach the end of the line

摘要

Europe: A legal adviser to Europe's highest court has recommended that it order a lower court to partially re-examine an appeal by Lafarge SA about a fine for a plasterboard cartel. "The contested judgment doesn't deal adequately with the argument set out by the applicant [Lafarge] at first instance concerning discrimination and the duration of the infringement," the court adviser said in a statement. The judg ment will now be sent back to a lower court if the adviser's opinion is backed by the European Court of Justice. The re-examination could lead to adjustments to the Euro249.6m fine that was imposed on Lafarge. The court adviser also recommended that the court uphold the Euro85.8m fine that was imposed on Germany's Gebruder Knauf Westdeutsche Gipswerke KG for the same cartel.