European Commission Proposes Framework for Cartel Settlement
November 01, 2007
A proposed framework for a cartel settlement procedure would allow companies to admit involvement in a cartel, settle liability, and receive potentially reduced fines in bilateral discussions with the European Commission, rather than having to submit to a timeconsuming and onerous full cartel investigation. The new procedure, announced on October 26, 2007, would be akin to plea bargaining, which is the manner by which most cartel investigations are resolved in the United States.