Cement cooperation approved

Cement cooperation approved The Swedish Market Court has granted Cementa (Sweden) and Aalborg Portland (Denmark) the right to cooperate on cement deliveries to the Öresund Link Bridge project. The Swedish Competition Authority had ruled earlier that cooperation between the two cement producers would have restricted competition, since Cementa and Aalborg Portland are the sole producers of cement in their respective countries. The verdict by the Swedish Market Court states that cement deliveries to the Öresund Link should be without precedent in Sweden, and that the conditions for competition in this case should therefore deviate clearly from normal prerequisites in the ordinary Swedish cement market. The Swedish Market Court agrees in other respects with the judgments made by the District Court that cooperation between Cementa and Aalborg Portland is the only realistic alternative that enables the two companies to participate in the tender competition for cement deliveies in a meaningful way. Cementa and Aalborg Portland signed a consortium agreement in September 1994 covering cooperation to jointly prepare tenders and bid on cement deliveries to the Öresund Link Bridge. The agreement was approved by the Danish Competition Authority, while the Swedish Competiton Authority decided in 1996 to outlaw the cooperation. After the decision by the Swedish Market Court, the two companies can now continue to deliver cement to the tunnel and bridge sections in accordance with fair trade legislation. ------------------------------------------------------------ Please visit http://www.bit.se for further information The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/1997/10/10/19990108BIT00230/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/1997/10/10/19990108BIT00230/bit0002.pdf