CURRENT CASES
Methionine
We are acting for a group of UK poultry producers in an action to recover compensation arising from a 13 year price fixing cartel involving producers of methionine, an amino acid used in chicken feed.
The Cartel
In 2002, the European Commission found that methionine producers, Aventis SA, Aventis Animal Nutrition SA, Degussa AG (now Evonik Degussa GmbH) and Nippon Soda Company Ltd had illegally exchanged information and fixed prices for methionine between 1986-1999 in breach of EU competition law. During an appeal by Degussa before the European Court of First Instance, the Court stated that the cartel achieved its objective of inflating the price of methionine above that which would have prevailed in a competitive market.
Our Actions
Proceedings were commenced in the Competition Appeals Tribunal against Evonik Degussa GmbH and Degussa Limited in December 2009 under section 47A of the Competition Act 1998 which enables businesses to bring “follow on actions” to recover losses incurred as a result of breaches of UK and EU competition law. Degussa has since issued a contribution claim in which it claims a contribution to any judgment from Sanofi-Aventis S.A. and Aventis Animal Nutrition S.A. Proceedings are currently stayed at the request of all parties. Updates are available on the Tribunal website.
