eu targets german carmakers
Last Updated : GMT 09:07:40
Egypt Today, egypt today
Egypt Today, egypt today
Last Updated : GMT 09:07:40
Egypt Today, egypt today

In New Antitrust Raids

EU targets German carmakers

Egypt Today, egypt today

Egypt Today, egypt today EU targets German carmakers

Volkswagen is one of the targets
Brussels - AFP

 A series of raids by EU antitrust regulators against German carmakers struck a new blow Monday to one of the most important sectors of the economy which has already been hit by a string of other scandals.

The EU Commission, the bloc's executive arm, said in a statement that it had carried out inspections "related to ... concerns that several German car manufacturers may have violated EU antitrust rules that prohibit cartels and restrictive business practices."

As is customary in EU anti-trust proceedings, the names of the car companies involved were not revealed.

However, Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz maker Daimler both admitted separately that they were under investigation, while BMW had confirmed on Friday it was the subject of a raid.

Back in July, news weekly Der Spiegel had reported that Volkswagen, Daimler, Audi, Porsche and BMW secretly worked together from the 1990s on car development, construction and logistics.

It is not unusual for industry players to cooperate, and the EU inspections mark a first step into establishing whether the talks between the carmakers crossed the line to collusion.

Nevertheless, the magazine alleged that both buyers and suppliers of the auto giants were negatively affected by the under-the-table deals.

Allegedly, the carmakers even agreed in secret talks on the size of tanks for chemicals used to treat harmful nitrogen oxides emissions from diesel motors.

The small size of the tanks reportedly played a key role in the emissions-cheating scandal that has tarnished Volkswagen's reputation and sent sales of diesel-powered vehicles plummeting in the land of the automobile.

In 2015, VW was forced to admit it had installed software in millions of its diesel vehicles around the world to cheat emissions tests, in a scandal which has already cost it tens of billions of euros.

Suspicion about diesel cheating has since spread to other automakers, notably Daimler, which has been raided by German police and prosecutors looking into the allegations.

In the mean time, carmakers have agreed with the German government that they will refit some older diesels to reduce their emissions, although most vehicles will only get an update to their software.

- Call for leniency -

In its statement confirming the raids, Daimler emphasised that it had submitted an application for leniency with the Commission.

Under European rules, the first firm to come forward with evidence of anticompetitive behaviour can be spared the worst of the punishment.

Daimler faced a billion-euro fine from Brussels over a truck cartel last year, while VW-owned competitor MAN received immunity for tipping off the Commission about high-level collusion between Europe's top truckmakers.

In this latest case, Wolfsburg-based VW and Stuttgart-based Daimler were among the first to hand over details of the alleged broader collusion between the five automakers to competition authorities, reported Spiegel, saying it had seen a relevant VW document.

"We were irritated" by the other firms' decision to turn to the authorities, BMW executive Markus Duesmann told the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung weekly on Sunday.

"In hindsight, it's a strange feeling that we were talking about cooperation with our competitors, while their lawyers had already reported the meetings to the competition authorities," said Duesmann.

Munich-based BMW said Friday that it is "supporting the work of the European Commission", adding that the cartel suspicions did not mean it was suspected of manipulating emissions values in its own diesel vehicles.

Source: AFP

egypttoday
egypttoday

Name *

E-mail *

Comment Title*

Comment *

: Characters Left

Mandatory *

Terms of use

Publishing Terms: Not to offend the author, or to persons or sanctities or attacking religions or divine self. And stay away from sectarian and racial incitement and insults.

I agree with the Terms of Use

Security Code*

eu targets german carmakers eu targets german carmakers



GMT 09:45 2021 Friday ,21 May

test

GMT 12:12 2012 Sunday ,15 July

Sunita Williams goes on second trip to space

GMT 15:29 2011 Wednesday ,13 July

Director of National Museum of Iran dismissed

GMT 11:26 2017 Monday ,28 August

Bahrain congratulates Iraq on Tal Afar liberation

GMT 21:36 2017 Friday ,06 January

Kohli takes over India ODI, T20 captaincy

GMT 08:55 2017 Friday ,25 August

Haj medical team ready to serve pilgrims

GMT 07:13 2015 Tuesday ,28 April

Elvis's planes staying put at Graceland

GMT 07:51 2016 Thursday ,13 October

Pentagon: US strikes Huthi rebel targets in Yemen

GMT 12:58 2017 Monday ,25 December

More than 30 bodies found in burnt Philippine mall

GMT 23:33 2011 Monday ,19 September

Neymar quells rumours: He is staying put

GMT 21:31 2012 Wednesday ,18 July

Baseball: Texas 6 Oakland 1

GMT 11:19 2011 Thursday ,06 October

GCC ministers of culture kick off meeting

GMT 11:05 2011 Tuesday ,09 August

Minister of culture inaugurates al-markhiya

GMT 13:20 2018 Sunday ,09 September

Earthquake strikes south of Dhahran Al-Janoub City

GMT 11:58 2016 Friday ,16 September

Ballon d'Or deal between France Football and FIFA ends

GMT 01:09 2012 Tuesday ,10 July

Zambia women walk long way for maternal shelters

GMT 09:13 2011 Friday ,08 July

EU clears Rio Tinto\'s sale of leading talc

GMT 08:04 2011 Sunday ,03 July

Awards designed to encourage innovation

GMT 13:33 2011 Friday ,02 December

From hero to villain-Prince Boateng

GMT 13:06 2016 Friday ,21 October

India agrees to trial DRS for England Tests

GMT 09:18 2016 Wednesday ,05 October

China, Qatar seek 2018 World Cup boost

GMT 11:40 2014 Monday ,24 February

Renault to launch electric \'Twizy\' in Middle East

GMT 16:32 2011 Tuesday ,20 September

Horn migrants beaten, deported, imprisoned

GMT 08:32 2014 Thursday ,02 January

Big Bang star Cuoco marries tennis pro
 
 Egypt Today Facebook,egypt today facebook  Egypt Today Twitter,egypt today twitter Egypt Today Rss,egypt today rss  Egypt Today Youtube,egypt today youtube  Egypt Today Youtube,egypt today youtube

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©

egypttoday egypttoday egypttoday egypttoday
egypttoday egypttoday egypttoday
egypttoday
بناية النخيل - رأس النبع _ خلف السفارة الفرنسية _بيروت - لبنان
egypttoday, Egypttoday, Egypttoday