Beer and sausage cartels fight back

You could be forgiven for thinking that Germany is a hotbed of illegal shenanigans. In July 2014, the Germany Federal Cartel Office issued fines of more than EUR 338 million (USD 455 million) on 21 sausage makers for illegal price fixing.

According to the trust busters, the companies had agreed on price ranges for products such as cooked sausage or ham to achieve higher prices.

Several companies have denied the allegations and announced legal action against the fines imposed on them.

The Federal Cartel Office also said that several brewers accused of collusion earlier this year have since decided to take their case to court in order to contest the fine. The German news magazine "Focus" identified six brewers and a regional brewers association. A spokesman for the Federal Cartel Office would not provide any details to their identity.

The antitrust office had imposed on them one of the highest cartel fines in its history: eleven brewers were fined to pay an estimated EUR 340 million (USD 458 million).