PASTA: INVESTIGATION INTO ALLEGED ANTI-COMPETITIVE ARRANGEMENT EXTENDED TO 29 MANUFACTURERS
PRESS RELEASE
PRESS RELEASE
PASTA: ANTITRUST AUTHORITY EXTENDS ITS INVESTIGATION INTO ALLEGED ANTI-COMPETITIVE ARRANGEMENT TO 29 MANUFACTURERS
Based on the documentation collected during inspections, it would seem a broad range of pasta companies was involved in coordinating the strategy of price increases
The Italian Competition Authority, at its meeting on 5 December 2007, decided to extend to 29 pasta manufacturers the investigation opened on 10 October 2007 into Unione Industriale Pastai Italiani (UNIPI) and UnionAlimentari.
The Authority's action concerns the following companies belonging to UNIPI: Amato, Barilla, Colussi (the Agnesi brand of pasta), De Cecco, Divella, Garofalo, Rummo, Zara, Nestlé (the Buitoni brand), Berruto, Cellino, Chirico, De Matteis, Delverde, Di Martino, Fabianelli, Felicetti, Ferrara, Gazzola/Monteregale, Granoro, Liguori, Mantovanelle, Mennucci, Pagani, Riscossa, Russo/La Molisana, Tamma, Tandoi and Valdigrano.
The extension was decided on the basis of information acquired in the course of inspections carried out at the headquarters of the two associations and at a number of companies. Based on the documentation collected, the investigation must ascertain whether during 2006 and 2007 the 29 companies coordinated strategies for pasta price increases which were then put into practice with the help of UNIPI.
The Authority is concentrating, in particular, on meetings held on 18 July and 26 September 2007 in UNIPI's offices, during which the 29 companies seem to have agreed on price-lists.
The investigation must be completed by 30 November 2008.
Rome, 17 December 2007