Final Report of the Hearing Officer – AT.40669 – End-of-life vehicle recycling
Date: 2025-03-24
Institutions: Directorate-General for Competition, European Commission
Subjects: EU competition policy, European Economic Area, advertising, control of restrictive practices, non-competition clause, price agreement, product life, sanction (EU), vehicle, waste recycling








C_202503220EN.000101.fmx.xml












Official Journal of the European Union


EN
C series













C/2025/3220


11.6.2025






Final Report of the Hearing Officer (1)

AT.40669 – End-of-life vehicle recycling
(C/2025/3220)

The draft decision is a settlement decision which finds a single and continuous infringement of Article 101 TFEU and Article 53 of the EEA Agreement with regard to end-of-life vehicle recycling in the EEA, lasting from 2002 to 2017 (2).
The following undertakings and association of undertakings (together referred to as the ‘Parties’) participated in the infringement:






(a)


Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft;










(b)


Ford-Werke GmbH, Ford Motor Company;










(c)


Honda Motor Europe Limited., Honda Motor Co., Ltd.;










(d)


Hyundai Motor Europe GmbH, Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Center GmbH, Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Europe GmbH and Kia Corporation;










(e)


Jaguar Land Rover Limited, Jaguar Land Rover Holdings Limited, Tata Motors Limited;










(f)


Mazda Motor Europe GmbH, Mazda Motor Corporation;










(g)


Mercedes-Benz Group AG;










(h)


Mitsubishi Motors Europe B.V., Mitsubishi Motor R&D Europe GmbH, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation;










(i)


Opel Automobile GmbH;










(j)


General Motors Company;










(k)


Renault s.a.s., Renault SA;










(l)


Nissan Motor Manufacturing (UK) Limited, Nissan Automotive Europe SAS, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd;










(m)


Stellantis N.V.;










(n)


Suzuki Motor Corporation;










(o)


Toyota Motor Europe NV/SA, Toyota Motor Corporation;










(p)


Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft;










(q)


Volvo Car Corporation;










(r)


Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co., Ltd; and










(s)


European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association.




The case stems from an application for immunity. Following unannounced inspections, the Commission received further applications for immunity and/or reduction of fines under the Leniency Notice (3).
By decisions of 9 September 2024 and 15 January 2025, the Commission initiated proceedings pursuant to Article 11(6) of Regulation No 1/2003 (4) and Article 2(1) of Regulation No 773/2004 (5) regarding the Parties.
All Parties indicated their willingness to engage in settlement discussions pursuant to Article 10a(1) of Regulation No 773/2004, which took place between October 2024 and January 2025. In […], the Parties submitted formal requests to settle pursuant to Article 10a(2) of Regulation No 773/2004 (the ‘settlement submissions’).
The Commission adopted a statement of objections under the settlement procedure addressed to the Parties on 19 February 2025. In their respective replies to the statement of objections, the Parties confirmed, pursuant to Article 10a(3) of Regulation No 773/2004, that the statement of objections reflected the contents of their settlement submissions and that they therefore remained committed to following the settlement procedure.
The Parties have not addressed any requests or complaints to me pursuant to Article 15(2) of Decision 2011/695/EU (6).
In accordance with Article 16 of Decision 2011/695/EU, I have examined whether the draft decision deals only with objections in respect of which the Parties have been afforded the opportunity of making known their views. I conclude that it does so.
In view of the above, I consider that the effective exercise of the procedural rights of the Parties to the proceedings in this case has been respected.


Brussels, 24 March 2025.

Dorothe DALHEIMER
               

Hearing Officer






(1)  Pursuant to Articles 16 and 17 of Decision 2011/695/EU of the President of the European Commission of 13 October 2011 on the function and terms of reference of the hearing officer in certain competition proceedings (OJ L 275, 20.10.2011, p. 29) (‘Decision 2011/695/EU’).

(2)  Some of the Parties are held liable for shorter periods.

(3)  Commission Notice on Immunity from fines and reduction of fines in cartel cases (OJ C 298, 8.12.2006, p. 17).

(4)  Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2003 of 16 December 2002 on the implementation of the rules on competition laid down in Articles 81 and 82 of the Treaty (OJ L 1, 4.1.2003, p. 1) (‘Regulation No 1/2003’).

(5)  Commission Regulation (EC) No 773/2004 of 7 April 2004 relating to the conduct of proceedings by the Commission pursuant to Articles 81 and 82 of the EC Treaty, OJ L 123, 27.4.2004, p. 18, as amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 622/2008 (OJ L 171, 1.7.2008, p. 3) and Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/1348 (OJ L 208, 5.8.2015, p. 3) (hereafter, ‘Regulation No 773/2004’).

(6)  Under Article 15(2) of Decision 2011/695/EU, parties to proceedings in cartel cases which engage in settlement discussions pursuant to Article 10a of Regulation No 773/2004 may call upon the hearing officer at any stage during the settlement procedure in order to ensure the effective exercise of their procedural rights.


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2025/3220/oj
ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)