Procter 038; Gamble,Unilever,Henkel fined over 450 mn

Germany8217;s Henkel was also listed as a member of the cartel that operated for more than three years at the start of the last decade,but it escaped any fine having revealed the sharp practices initially in 2008.

8220;I will not name the brands,but they all feature prominently on the shelves of supermarkets,8221; said EU competition commissioner Joaquin Almunia.

8220;I8217;m sure you know all the brands that were involved.

8220;Henkel,Procter amp; Gamble and Unilever engaged in anti-competitive practices8230; on their own initiative and at their own risk,8221; he said,in a bid 8220;to protect their own market share.8221;

Almunia would not put a figure on how much the companies gained from the secret deal to fix prices that arose out of a trade association plan 8220;to improve the environmental performance of detergent products.8221;

But he said he hoped the fine would prove 8220;deterrent enough8221; and warned that companies in all business sectors 8220;should be under no illusion that the commission will pursue its relentless fight against cartels,which extract higher prices from consumers than if companies compete fairly.8221;

The companies fixed prices in Belgium,France,Germany,Greece,Italy,Portugal,Spain and the Netherlands.

They both obtained a 10 per cent reduction in the fines,based on associated business turnover,for holding their hands up after raids by inspectors.