Cases
In 2016 and 2017, the European Commission imposed fines on all major European truck manufacturers for operating an illegal cartel.
unilegion Truck Claims Foundation, established in the Netherlands, organized a class action for damages on behalf of truck buyers which was filed in the Amsterdam district court in July 2021. In total, the class action comprises damage claims for around 15,000 trucks that had been acquired by around 700 companies from several EU member states, particularly France, Germany, Austria, Belgium and Greece.
unilegion is currently organising a second class action, which injured parties can join.
The truck cartel
At the beginning of 2020, the German Federal Cartel Office imposed fines totaling around 157 million euros on eight wholesalers of plant protection products (“Pflanzenschutzmittel”) for illegal cartel agreements.
The wholesalers had agreed on the prices at which they sold crop protection products to both retailers and end customers (i.e. farms) in Germany between 1998 and March 2015.
unilegion organizes a class action lawsuit against the wholesalers involved in the cartel on behalf of the aggrieved farmers.
The pesticides cartel
In July 2019, the Italian Competition Authority imposed fines totaling €287 million on more than 20 manufacturers of corrugated cardboard and cardboard boxes in Italy.
According to the authority's findings, the manufacturers had colluded on prices from 2004 (corrugated board) and 2005 (corrugated cardboard boxes) until 2017, thereby violating antitrust law.
unilegion organizes a class action lawsuit on behalf of aggrieved corrugated cardboard box buyers in Italy against the manufacturers.
The corrugated cardboard cartel
In December 2019, the French competition authority imposed fines totaling 415 million euros on the four major French issuers of restaurant checks (Sodexo, Edenred, Natixis and Up).
According to the authority's findings, from 2002 to 2018, the companies had exchanged sensitive information and foreclosed the market, thereby harming competition.
unilegion is currently considering organizing a class action lawsuit against the issuers of the restaurant checks on behalf of the aggrieved points of acceptance (esp. restaurants) in France.
The restaurant check cartel
In October 2020, the European Court of Justice ruled that the calculation of the German truck toll (“Lkw Maut”) was faulty because the inclusion of police costs violated European law.
The German legislator has recognized the overcharge and as of 1 October 2021 lower toll rates are calculated. However, for all periods prior to this, reimbursements must be applied for - and, in addition, exemplary proceedings are pending in court for various periods.
We therefore assert repayment claims with the Federal Office for Goods Transport for companies that paid truck tolls in the period from 1 January 1 2018 to 30 September 2021.
Excessive truck toll in Germany
Abuse of dominant position by Booking.com (price parity clauses)
In July 2024, the Spanish competition authority imposed a fine of EUR 413 million on Booking.com, in particular for the use of best price clauses to hotels in violation of competition law. In September 2024, the European Court of Justice also confirmed that these clauses are not exempt from the European ban on anticompetitive behaviour as "necessary ancillary restraints".
unilegion is organising a class action for hotels in Spain, Germany, the Netherlands and other EU member states that have paid too much commission to Booking.com as a result of the illegal clauses.