What does a cartel investigation mean


Cartel. Exceptions to the ban on cartels
the contractual amalgamation of companies of the same production or trade level, which remain legally independent, but give up their economic independence in whole or in part in order to achieve a competitive advantage. As a rule, the companies involved in the cartel undertake to act jointly and to pay contractual penalties if the provisions of the cartel agreement are violated.

A distinction is made between B. Price cartels (see there), regional cartels that make agreements on defined sales areas, quota cartels (see there), discount cartels, rationalization cartels (see there) or crisis cartels that cause permanent or temporary sales declines and their economic damage as a result of economic or structural crises want to mitigate joint action.

Cartel. Prohibition of cartels and examples of prohibited agreements
According to the Act against Restraints of Competition (Kartellgesetz), cartels are generally prohibited as agreements that restrict competition. However, the law also names exceptions such as cartels for small and medium-sized companies. The precautionary approval of cartels as permission cartels (allowed for 3 years) and opposition cartels (not contradicted with the cartel) was given up in 2005. Since then, cartels have only been checked retrospectively by the authorities or the courts; fines may be imposed if the prohibition of cartels is violated. Because of the ban on cartels, companies try to restrict competition in other ways, such as coordinated behavior, also known as the breakfast cartel (see there).

Duden Wirtschaft from A to Z: Basic knowledge for school and study, work and everyday life. 6th edition. Mannheim: Bibliographisches Institut 2016. Licensed edition Bonn: Federal Agency for Civic Education 2016.