The Market Court rejects the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority's penalty payment proposal

On 28 August 2024, the Market Court gave its judgement (473/2024) in a competition law case concerning alleged prohibited cooperation between companies on the market for plastic infrastructure pipe products in Finland.

By its judgement, the Market Court did not consider the evidence submitted by the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority (“FCCA”) in this case to be sufficient and rejected the penalty payment proposal by the FCCA. In addition, the Market Court ordered the FCCA to reimburse part of the companies' litigation costs.

The judgement relates to the FCCA's proposal in 2022 to the Market Court to impose infringement fines totalling approximately EUR 44 million to two manufacturers and three wholesalers of plastic infrastructure pipe products. According to the FCCA's allegations, the companies acted in mutual understanding to restrict competition on the Finnish market in years 2009–2016.

The judgement can be appealed to the Supreme Administrative Court.

Krogerus team (Partner Leena Lindberg, Counsel Minna Siekkinen and Associate Essi Miettinen) successfully advised one of the wholesalers involved in the matter.