French poultry industry hit with €15.2 million fine
According to l’Autorité de la Concurrence, the French association of poultry processors (Fédération des Industries Avicoles), as well as 17 companies and organisations including DUC and LDC Sablé, made illegal arrangements between 2001 and 2007.
It reported that two sets of meetings took place between the companies and organisations. The first phase took place between 2001 and 2006 and included discussions on market prices and recommended prices.
The second phase of meetings occurred between late 2006 and late 2007 and included up to 60 meetings over the course of the year involving discussions on prices to charge customers.
Although the Autorité could have imposed a fine of up to 10% of a company’s turnover, it took into consideration the integrated nature of the poultry chain and decided that it would be better to set up a sector organisation rather than to hit the sector with heavy fines.
In a statement it said: "Considering the collective commitment by almost all manufacturers in the industry to set up a cartel, the Competition Authority decided, for reasons of general interest, to depart from its usual method of determination and to impose much more moderate fines on these companies. It thus imposes sanctions amounting to €15.2 million on 21 industrial poultry and two professional organisations in the sector to colluding between 2000 and 2007 to reduce uncertainty in the course of commercial negotiations."
The full list of fines:
LDC Sablé €5,000,000
Gastronome €2,000,000
Arrivé €4,000,000
Galéo €400,000
Ronsard €400,000
Duc €100,000
SNV €500,000
Les Volailles de Keranna €500,000
Loeul et Piriot €500,000
Celvia €200,000
Pronacar €200,000
Lionor €200,000
Volailles Rémi Ramon €200,000
Blason d’Or €200,000
Ernest Soulard €200,000
Multilap €200,000
Bretagne Lapins €100,000
Corico €100,000
Volailles Léon Dupont €100,000
RVE €100,000
Savel €100,000
FIA €40,000
CIDEF €10,000
