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Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom
Key definition
Cartel definition

What does Cartel mean? In legal practice, a cartel is coordination between competing undertakings to restrict competition, typically price-fixing, rigged bids (collusive tenders), limiting output or setting quotas, or sharing/dividing markets by allocating customers, suppliers, territories or lines of trade. It may take the form of an agreement, decision or concerted practice, including exchanges of commercially sensitive information that align market behaviour. In UK civil competition law this conduct infringes the Chapter I prohibition in the Competition Act 1998; in Ireland it infringes section 4 of the Competition Act 2002 and, where applicable, Article 101 TFEU. The term is a descriptive label...

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CJEU Kone: Cartel members liable for umbrella pricing without contractual link; national bars incompatible with Article 101 TFEU

Practice notes
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CASE HUB ARCHIVED – this archived case hub reflects the position at the date of the judgment of 5 June 2014; it is no longer maintained.

See further: timeline, commentary and related/similar cases.

Case facts

A national reference was made by the Austrian Oberster Gerichtshof (Supreme Court) to the Court of Justice for a preliminary ruling under Article 267 TFEU.

Outline

The request sought guidance on the handling of ‘umbrella pricing’ in Member State domestic law, notably where rules prevent customers of undertakings outside a cartel from seeking damages from cartel participants for any overcharge arising through ‘umbrella effects’, and whether such an approach is compatible with EU law. See Are cartels liable for umbrella pricing claims?

Parties

  • KONE AG (Kone)
  • Otis GmbH (Otis)
  • Schindler Aufzüge und Fahrtreppen GmbH (Schindler Aufzüge)
  • Schindler Liegenschaftsverwaltung GmbH (Schindler Liegenschaftsverwaltung)
  • ThyssenKrupp Aufzüge GmbH (ThyssenKrupp)
  • ÖBB-Infrastruktur AG (ÖBB)
  • Oberster Gerichtshof (Austrian Supreme Court)

Kone, Otis, Schindler Aufzüge, Schindler Liegenschaftsverwaltung and ThyssenKrupp Aufzüge operate across several Member States, providing, installing and maintaining lifts and escalators...

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Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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