In the course of the cartel allegations against the German auto industry uncovered by SPIEGEL, auditors of the EU Commission have made representations to BMW. Meanwhile, Daimler admitted that it had applied for leniency.
The headquarters of the car manufacturer BMW in Munich.
Friday, 20.10.2017
18:22 clock
In the case of a suspected cartel against the German auto industry The European Commission has this week an audit in the Munich BMWGroup headquarters. That said a spokesman for the automaker.
A formal procedure has not been initiated by the Commission, according to BMW. The employees had carried out a so-called review, the company supported the EU Commission in their work. Details did not mention the speaker. Due to the ongoing examination, BMW will not comment further.
The EU Commission stated that there had been an “unannounced check” at a German automaker. Investigations are a first step in investigations into allegations of antitrust infringements and do not imply that a company has been guilty of any wrongdoing.
Daimler confirms leniency application
The EU Commission is currently conducting a preliminary investigation into the allegations. BMW and Daimler as well as VW together with the daughters Audi and Porsche have for years in secret circles exchanged about their cars, costs and suppliers. The practice of detailed collusion between the automakers the MIRROR had revealed,
Such collusion among car makers are quite common – for example, to set standards for the charge of electric cars denied. The condition is, however, always that the cooperation brings benefits to consumers, which would otherwise not be possible. The question is, if in this case a limit has been exceeded,
The Daimler Group has applied to the EU authorities for status as a key witness in order to possibly have advantages in a possible procedure. Chief Financial Officer Bodo Uebber confirmed what he was talking about had long been speculated,
“It is currently unclear whether the European Commission will initiate a formal procedure,” Uebber continued. Daimler currently sees no need to provide a financial cushion for possible penalties.
Costs for recalls burden Daimler
After the allegations became known in the summer it was said in media reports that also the VolkswagenGroup had already submitted a kind of self-report around the antitrust suspicion with the authorities some time ago. Daimler should be ahead of the Wolfsburg but before and would be the beneficiary of the scheme. VW did not want to comment on that. The chief witness in antitrust proceedings can usually hope for the largest discount in penalties to the complete exoneration.
“We can not say more about this at the moment because of the aforementioned immunity request,” said Uebber. Daimler continues to cooperate fully with the authorities. When exactly the company has submitted the application and what he reveals in the overseers, the head of finance did not want to say.
more on the subject
Despite the exhaust scandal, Daimler was able to increase sales in the third quarter. High costs, among others for a recall and the promised software updates diesel vehicles however, reduce the profit considerably, the group said in the morning.
Daimler wants to improve a total of three million diesel to reduce pollutant emissions. In addition, the Group calls back more than a million cars due to defective cables in the steering column. Both together cost the Stuttgarter a good half a billion euros.