EU set to impose record cartel fine on truckmakers 欧盟拟向6家卡车制造商开出“创纪录罚单”

The EU is set to issue the biggest cartel fine in its history, punishing Europe’s largest truckmakers over charges that they fixed prices and delayed the introduction of new emission technologies.

欧盟(EU)即将开出其历史上金额最高的反垄断罚单，以涉嫌操纵价格并推迟引入新的排放技术为由，对欧洲各大卡车制造商进行处罚。

Margrethe Vestager, EU competition commissioner, issued the original charge sheet against DAF, Daimler, Iveco, Scania, MAN and Volvo/Renault in 2014. Four of those companies have now set aside provisions amounting to $2.6bn.

2014年，欧盟竞争事务专员玛格丽特•维斯特格(Margrethe Vestager)发布针对DAF卡车、戴姆勒(Daimler)、依维柯(Iveco)、斯堪尼亚(Scania)、曼卡车(MAN)以及沃尔沃/雷诺(Volvo/Renault)的指控单初稿。其中4家公司现在已为此拨备高达26亿美元的准备金。

People close to the discussions on penalties say that they are expecting the fine this year, possibly within weeks, unless there is a reversal by the European Commission.

据了解有关罚金讨论的人士称，他们预计今年会发出罚单，有可能在几周内——除非欧盟委员会(European Commission)改变态度。

The expected fine easily outstrips the EU’s previous record of €1.4bn for a television and computer monitor tubes cartel in 2012, and dwarfs those imposed over euro and yen interest rate derivative cartels. Ms Vestager has compared the action against the truckmakers to her landmark antitrust showdowns with Google, the US search group, and Gazprom, Russia’s gas export monopoly.

这笔预计罚款将显著超过欧盟2012年对电视和电脑显像管垄断开出的14亿欧元的创纪录罚金，还将超过对欧元和日元利率衍生品价格操纵开出的罚单。维斯特格将针对卡车制造商的诉讼与她向美国搜索集团谷歌(Google)和俄罗斯天然气出口垄断企业俄罗斯天然气工业股份公司(Gazprom)发起的里程碑式的反垄断摊牌相提并论。

Her probe focuses on the behaviour of the six companies between 1997 and 2011, according to documents seen by the Financial Times. The charges describe several ways in which the manufacturers allegedly colluded on price. Most sensitively after the Volkswagen scandal, the companies are also accused of agreeing the “timing and price increase levels for the introduction of new emission technologies”.

根据英国《金融时报》看到的文件，她的调查重点是1997年至2011年期间上述6家公司的行为。起诉书称，这些卡车制造商涉嫌使用多种方法合谋定价。作为自大众(Volkswagen)尾气丑闻之后最为敏感的事件，这些公司还被指在“引入新的排放技术的时间表和由此带来的价格涨幅”问题上串通。

Ms Vestager has stressed that Europe has 600,000 hauliers — mostly small businesses — and argues that any price collusion among truckmakers would have put up prices of everything from food to furniture.

维斯特格强调，欧洲有60万家货运公司，多数为小公司，她认为，卡车制造商之间的任何价格合谋都将提高很多商品的价格，从食品到家具。

The companies said they were co-operating with the investigation, although one added it might appeal any negative decision.

这些卡车制造商表示，他们正配合调查，不过一家公司补充称，如果欧盟做出负面裁决，其可能上诉。

In preparation for a big financial hit, DAF has put aside $945m; Iveco $500m, Daimler €600m ($672m) and Volvo SKr3.7bn ($444m). As the whistleblower, MAN, which is owned by Volkswagen Group, would ordinarily escape a fine.

DAF、依维柯、戴姆勒和沃尔沃已分别为此拨备9.45亿美元、5亿美元、6亿欧元(合6.72亿美元)和37亿瑞典克朗(合4.44亿美元)准备金。作为举报方，大众集团旗下的曼卡车一般会免于受罚。

Only Scania, which is also owned by VW, has not put aside any money. “Scania remains unable to estimate the impact the investigation will have,” the company said its annual report. “It cannot be ruled out that the commission will impose fines on Scania,” it added.

只有同为大众所有的斯堪尼亚没有拨备任何准备金。“斯堪尼亚仍无法估计调查将造成的影响，”该公司在其年报中表示。该公司补充称：“不能排除欧盟委员会将对斯堪尼亚处以罚款的可能性。”