The 13 roofing contractors that the OFT found guilty of price fixing in 2006 were not engaged in “simple cover pricing”, but bid-rigging

As yet, no competition authority in Europe has decided that simple cover pricing infringes competition law. The OFT may have done so, but there is ample precedent in Europe that when a practice is condemned for the first time as anti-competitive, no fine, or only a nominal one, is imposed.

The OFT could and should have imposed no more than nominal fines on those who engaged in simple cover pricing. And let’s not forget that the alleged infringements in the current investigation took place more than three years ago, and most date back to 2001.

Adam Aldred

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