commiss decis decemb relat proceed articl ec treati articl eea agreement case cholin chlorid notifi document number english french german text authent text eea relev ec decemb commiss adopt decis relat proceed articl ec treati articl eea agreement accord provis articl council regul ec commiss herewith publish name parti main content decis includ penalti impos regard legitim interest undertak protect busi interest confidenti version full text decis found authent languag case commiss work languag dg comp websit address http europa eu int comm competit index en html summari infring introduct decis address akzo nobel akzo nobel nederland akzo nobel chemic intern akzo nobel chemic akzo nobel function chemic jointli sever hereinaft akzo nobel basf hereinaft basf bioproduct incorpor hereinaft bioproduct chinook group limit partnership chinook group limit jointli sever hereinaft chinook ducoa hereinaft ducoa ucb hereinaft ucb addresse particip singl continu infring articl treati establish european commun hereinaft ec treati treati januari articl agreement european econom area hereinaft eea agreement cover eea territori commiss initi investig global cholin chlorid industri receiv lenienc applic april supplier bioproduct investig cover period end refer period investig market cholin chlorid cholin chlorid belong complex group water solubl vitamin vitamin anim feed industri tradit feed addit poultri swine increas growth reduc mortal rate increas feed effici increas egg product improv meat qualiti start period investig cholin chlorid produc europ north america unit state canada cholin chlorid product capac china india japan korea taiwan north american produc export central south america europ east south east asia european produc start export central south america africa south east asia east european north american produc product facil area world expand local product order cut transport storag cost penetr local market basf establish product facil mexico brazil thailand akzo nobel ucb china ducoa mexico chinook singapor size worldwid market cholin chlorid estim eur million full year infring eea account eur million period investig produc involv infring control world market european produc concern control close eea area descript cartel eea concern cholin chlorid cartel oper close relat level global level european level global level produc subject proceed particip anti competit activ eea june april activ includ set increas worldwid price alloc worldwid market control distributor convert exchang commerci sensit inform north american produc particip seri anti competit meet strictli european produc coordin behaviour european market meet place period march octob activ includ set increas price eea nation market individu custom alloc individu custom particip undertak alloc market share undertak eea market control distributor convert exchang commerci sensit inform commiss found arrang global european level part scheme laid line action eea member cartel restrict individu commerci conduct order pursu singl anti competit econom aim distort normal competit condit eea cholin chlorid north american produc particip scheme time octob april period year month european produc entir period octob septemb period year eleven month ii fine limit period north american produc end particip infring end global meet place april action commiss investig infring action place year north american produc end particip infring fine impos north american produc bioproduct chinook ducoa basic amount graviti infring case consist primarili secret collus cartel member fix price eea support market share agre action competitor kind horizont restrict natur worst kind violat articl treati articl eea agreement take account natur infring commit fact cover common market creation eea entireti commiss consid akzo nobel basf ucb commit infring articl treati eea agreement commiss view factor infring qualifi actual impact infring measur differenti treatment categori infring scale fine make appli differenti treatment undertak order account effect econom capac offend signific damag competit take account infring start global level particip north american compani agre inter alia withdraw european market commiss consid case global market share undertak particip infring determin respect weight chinook largest market oper world market share categori ducoa market share categori ucb bioproduct akzo nobel market share categori final basf market share fourth categori suffici deterr categori infring scale fine make set fine level ensur suffici deterr effect take account size undertak respect commiss note recent financi year preced decis turnov ucb eur billion akzo nobel eur billion basf eur billion commiss consid multipli fine akzo nobel factor basf factor durat akzo nobel akzo nobel nederland akzo nobel chemic intern akzo nobel chemic akzo nobel function chemic basf ucb particip infring octob septemb period year eleven month aggrav circumst recidiv time infring place basf subject previou commiss prohibit decis cartel activ decis eec ec fact basf repeat type conduct albeit sector previous incur penalti show penalti prompt basf chang conduct undertak constitut commiss aggrav circumst aggrav circumst justifi increas basic amount fine impos basf rate normal rate emploi commiss case involv recidiv attenu circumst earli termin infring basf ucb claim reduct earli termin cartel infring natur hard core anti trust violat particip infring realis engag illeg activ commiss view case deliber illeg behaviour fact compani termin behaviour intervent commiss merit reward period infring compani concern shorter implement akzo nobel basf ucb claim infring element thereof fulli effect implement commiss view arrang pertain eea market implement european produc implement respect kei element price alloc client europ control convert implement fulli success achiev actual impact market remain competit market produc concern provid indic desir undertook action deliber abstain implement agreement conclud respect eea period adher length investig basf argu reduct grant long durat investig commiss observ gener requir commiss reduc fine length investig normal limit period spell articl regul ec appli paragraph articl state limit period expir latest dai period equal limit period elaps commiss impos fine period penalti payment period expir proceed crisi situat basf argu reduct grant alleg fact cholin chlorid industri crisi situat commiss observ fact undertak happen make profit commerci activ licenc enter secret collus competitor cheat custom competitor gener rule cartel risk come plai undertak make larg profit precis sector encount problem disciplinari measur complianc programm basf argu receiv reduct disciplinari measur employe involv infring introduc complianc programm commiss welcom measur undertak avoid cartel infring futur measur chang realiti infring sanction appropri decis effect cooper lenienc notic ucb undertak voluntarili inform commiss fact addit meet global level european produc held number meet european level evid voluntarili provid ucb meet allow commiss determin durat infring year eleven month commiss remain awar arrang global level durat infring year month order reward ucb increas durat commiss consid grant ucb reduct attenu circumst equal basic amount reduct correspond increas basic amount result durat infring year eleven month year month applic lenienc notic signific reduct fine quot section quot reduct akzo nobel basf ucb oper commiss stage investig view receiv favour treatment set lenienc notic appli proceed basf basf compani voluntarili submit evid global arrang basf submit evid commiss dispos evid arrang submit chinook bioproduct irrespect evid submit chinook bioproduct evid suffici constitut decis evid cartel exist mean section lenienc notic basf made submiss undertak provid decis evid cartel exist commiss result section lenienc notic appli basf european produc substanc evid submit basf limit global arrang materi contribut establish exist infring mean section lenienc notic reduct submiss remain limit take account extens evid global arrang commiss possess receiv statement object basf inform commiss substanti contest fact commiss base alleg factual correct commiss accept take account element cooper mention commiss consid basf entitl reduct fine impos ucb ucb voluntarili inform commiss cartel meet held european level march octob mention particip provid gener descript content meet ad contemporan report cartel meet place time ucb made submiss commiss awar meet european level evid constitut signific materi contribut establish infring written contemporan evid provid period receiv statement object ucb inform commiss substanti contest fact commiss base alleg factual correct commiss accept submiss ucb claim particip number meet global level parti agreement global level decis commiss reject claim unfound ucb fact receiv statement object contest essenti element fact commiss base alleg receiv reduct contest fact commiss base alleg take account element cooper mention commiss consid ucb entitl reduct fine impos akzo nobel januari akzo nobel submit voluntari report european arrang report gave detail descript content arrang european level includ consider inform ucb provid fact akzo nobel file report half year ucb made submiss arrang account lenienc reduct grant receiv statement object akzo nobel inform commiss substanti contest fact commiss base alleg factual correct commiss accept take account element cooper mention commiss consid akzo nobel entitl reduct fine impos assess take account hand akzo nobel report european arrang valuabl commiss inform evid arrang suppli earlier ucb arriv half year hand akzo nobel oppos ucb contest fact commiss base alleg result undertak merit percentag reduct decis undertak infring articl treati januari articl eea agreement particip period complex agreement concert practic consist price fix market share agre action competitor cholin chlorid sector eea akzo nobel akzo nobel nederland akzo nobel chemic intern akzo nobel chemic akzo nobel function chemic octob septemb basf octob septemb bioproduct incorpor octob april chinook group limit partnership chinook group limit octob april ducoa octob april ucb octob septemb infring fine impos akzo nobel akzo nobel nederland akzo nobel chemic intern akzo nobel chemic akzo nobel function chemic jointli sever eur million basf ag eur million ucb sa eur million undertak list recit immedi bring infring end refrain repeat act conduct infring found case act conduct similar object effect oj regul amend regul ec oj articl council regul ec oj articl council regul ec oj oj point lenienc notic februari notic replac notic case undertak contact commiss order advantag favour treatment set notic case undertak appli lenienc commiss februari lenienc notic appli