La The EU Commission has fined six multinational cathode ray tube manufacturers for a total of 1,47 billion for tv and computer screens. The accusation is that of having organized two anti-competitive cartels. The groups involved are Chunghwa (who benefited from full immunity for revealing the agreements), LG Electronics, Philips and Samsung, who participated in both illegal cartels. To these are added Panasonic, Toshiba, Mtpd and Technicolor, which, on the other hand, only took part in the cathode ray tube cartel.
The agreement between the companies involved, defined by the EU Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia as "a textbook cartel that represents all the worst characteristics of anti-competitive behaviour” had as its objective, between 1996 and 2006, that of sharing market shares and clientele, controlling prices.
