Car battery recycling cartel

Car battery recycling cartel

On February 8, 2017 (corrected on April 6, 2017), the European Commission imposed a total fine of approximately €68 million on three groups of recycling companies: Campine (Belgium), Eco-Bat Technologies (UK), and Recyclex (France) for colluding on prices when purchasing used car batteries. A fourth company, Johnson Controls (US), was not fined because it had informed the Commission about the cartel’s existence.

Unlike most price-fixing cartels, which involve companies agreeing to raise their selling prices, these four groups of companies agreed to lower the purchase prices paid to scrap dealers and collectors. The cartel impacted scrap dealers and collectors who gather and resell used car batteries.

Eco-Bat’s action for annulment was rejected as inadmissible by the European General Court on March 21, 2018 (Case T-361/17). This decision was upheld by the European Court of Justice on March 21, 2019 (Case C-312/18 P).

Recyclex SA’s request to reduce the fine was dismissed by the European General Court on May 23, 2019 (Case T-222/17). On June 3, 2021, the European Court of Justice rejected Recyclex’s appeal against the General Court’s judgment (Case C-563/19 P).

The European General Court partially upheld Campine’s action for annulment on November 7, 2019. Campine did not seek further legal remedy against this decision.

Cartel subject: used lead batteries

Cartel members: Campine, Eco-Bat Technologies, Recyclex, Johnson Controls Inc.

Cartel period: 23.09.2009 – 26.09.2012

Cartel region: Germany, Belgium, France, Netherlands

Affected parties: operators of collection points including garages, maintenance and repair workshops, battery distributors, scrapyards, and other waste disposal facilities