Compliance Radar
Who was sanctioned, and for what?
Fines, court rulings and incidents from Europe and North America: 718 cases from 32 jurisdictions, each with an official source and checked against that source before publication. Filter by country, area of law and sector. Click a chart to drill down one level.
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Where?
by countryWhat for?
by topic- Cartels and collusion €85.4m 100 % · 9 cases
- no topic €70,000 0 % · 1 case
Who?
by company- AS Asphaltstraßensanierung GmbH, BITUNOVA GmbH, Kutter Spezialstraßenbau GmbH & Co. KG, Possehl Construction GmbH (inkl. VSI), Liesen…alles für den Bau GmbH, OAT GmbH/Otto Alte-Teigeler GmbH €60.3m 71 % · 1 case
- AS Asphaltstraßensanierung, BITUNOVA, Mainka u. a. (Straßenerhaltungskartell, 7 Unternehmen) €10.5m 12 % · 1 case
- ATE, s. r. o.; AŽD Praha s.r.o.; EPLcond a.s.; MONZAS, a.s.; První SaZ Plzeň a.s.; STARMON s.r.o. €6.39m 7 % · 1 case
- BeMo Tunnelling, Echterhoff-Holland, Eiffage Infra-West, Fenne, Gehrken, IH Inpako, IHT, Karger, Korte, Mainka Bau, Möllmann, Rostek & Pesch, T&M Baugesellschaft, AKM Verwaltungsgesellschaft €4.8m 6 % · 1 case
- Strabag AG (Köln); Kemna Bau Andreae GmbH & Co. KG als Kronzeuge ohne Bußgeld €2.79m 3 % · 1 case
- SIA "SILTUMTEHSERVISS", SIA "Apkure IM", SIA "ADAPTERIS", SIA "Alpex", SIA "Infrakom" €513,508 1 % · 1 case
- SINOP ALFA, s.r.o. €70,000 0 % · 1 case
- Bloem Infra B.V.; Den Ouden Infra B.V. (Kronzeuge, 0 €) €59,000 0 % · 1 case
- „О-Рент“ ЕООД (sowie „Инжконсулт“ ЕООД und „Земекоп“ ЕООД) €2,403 0 % · 1 case
When?
per quarter, by date of decision| Period | Cases | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2023 | 0 | — |
| Q4 2023 | 1 | €4.8m |
| Q1 2024 | 1 | €59,000 |
| Q2 2024 | 0 | — |
| Q3 2024 | 0 | — |
| Q4 2024 | 2 | €2.86m |
| Q1 2025 | 0 | — |
| Q2 2025 | 1 | €10.5m |
| Q3 2025 | 2 | €6.91m |
| Q4 2025 | 1 | €70,000 |
| Q1 2026 | 0 | — |
| Q2 2026 | 0 | — |
| Q3 2026 | 2 | €60.3m |
10 cases
13 Aug 2026 „О-Рент“ ЕООД (sowie „Инжконсулт“ ЕООД und „Земекоп“ ЕООД)Construction machinery cartel: fine for O-Rent, compliance programme for all participants €2,403
The Комисия за защита на конкуренцията (Bulgarian Commission for the Protection of Competition, KZK) found a cartel in public tenders for mining and construction machinery (price fixing and market sharing, Art. 15 ZZK – Bulgarian Protection of Competition Act, Art. 101 TFEU). Inzhkonsult and Zemekop, as a single undertaking, were exempted from the fine; O-Rent received a sanction of 2,403.07 EUR. All three companies must introduce a competition law compliance programme within 60 days and report on it.
The authority now expressly requires compliance programmes – anyone bidding in tenders should have one before it is ordered.
Competition law in tenders; compliance programme
- Authority / court
- Комисия за защита на конкуренцията (КЗК, Bulgarische Wettbewerbskommission)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. 15 Abs. 1 Nr. 1 und 2 ZZK; Art. 101 Abs. 1 lit. a und c AEUV
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Construction and real estate
- Mitigating circumstances
- Immunity from fines for two participants (leniency programme)
- Published
- 20 Aug 2026
- КЗК Публичен електронен регистър – Производство (Решение № 797 от 13.08.2026; Volltext als PDF im Register) Official register or notice
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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6 Aug 2026 AS Asphaltstraßensanierung GmbH, BITUNOVA GmbH, Kutter Spezialstraßenbau GmbH & Co. KG, Possehl Construction GmbH (inkl. VSI), Liesen…alles für den Bau GmbH, OAT GmbH/Otto Alte-Teigeler GmbHBundeskartellamt: 60.3 million EUR against DSK road repair cartel €60.3m
From around 2010 to September 2019, six suppliers of thin cold-laid asphalt surface layers (Dünne Asphaltdeckschichten in Kaltbauweise, DSK) allocated customers – primarily public contracting authorities – and contracts among themselves nationwide and coordinated prices. Germany's Federal Cartel Office (Bundeskartellamt) imposed fines of around 60.3 million EUR; all proceedings ended in settlements.
Anyone who "shares out" public contracts regionally risks fines running into millions – calculations and bids must always be prepared independently.
Customer allocation and bid rigging in public contracts
- Authority / court
- Bundeskartellamt
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- § 1 GWB, Art. 101 AEUV
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Construction and real estate
- Mitigating circumstances
- Leniency bonus for Possehl/VSI, Bitunova, Kutter and AS; settlement
- Published
- 6 Aug 2026
- Bußgelder wegen Kartellabsprachen im Bereich Straßenreparatur mit DSK Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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27 Oct 2025 SINOP ALFA, s.r.o.SINOP ALFA: 70,000 EUR for refusing to hand over business mobile phone during inspection €70,000
During an unannounced inspection in the air-conditioning, refrigeration and heat pump services sector, the company repeatedly refused to produce a mobile phone used for business purposes. The Protimonopolný úrad Slovenskej republiky (Antimonopoly Office of the Slovak Republic, PMÚ SR) regarded this as obstruction of the inspection and imposed 70,000 EUR, around 1% of the previous year’s turnover (not final).
Business smartphones are part of the documents that may be inspected – a dawn raid guide for employees prevents costly wrong reactions.
Conduct during inspections (dawn raids), handing over mobile devices
- Authority / court
- Protimonopolný úrad Slovenskej republiky (PMÚ SR)
- Area of law
- Competition law
- Legal basis
- Slowakisches Wettbewerbsschutzgesetz (Mitwirkungspflicht bei Nachprüfungen)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Construction and real estate
- Culpability
- intentional
- Published
- 28 Oct 2025
- KARTELY: PMÚ uložil pokutu za nespoluprácu počas inšpekcie Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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1 Sep 2025 SIA "SILTUMTEHSERVISS", SIA "Apkure IM", SIA "ADAPTERIS", SIA "Alpex", SIA "Infrakom"Bid-rigging cartel in pipeline construction contracts – five construction firms pay 513,508 EUR €513,508
From 2021 to 2024, two groups of construction companies coordinated in more than 30 public tenders for the construction and repair of utility pipelines: they exchanged sensitive information, determined winners and submitted sham bids. Prompted by information from the contracting entity Rīgas namu pārvaldnieks, the Konkurences padome (Latvian Competition Council) imposed a total of 513,508.08 EUR.
Jointly preparing bids with competitors – even where the work is later carried out jointly – is a cartel; tender teams must know this.
Competition law in tenders
- Authority / court
- Konkurences padome (Lettischer Wettbewerbsrat)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. 11 Abs. 1 Konkurences likums
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Construction and real estate
- Mitigating circumstances
- All companies except Infrakom concluded a settlement with the Competition Council, acknowledged the facts and waived an appeal; in return, a 10% fine reduction.
- Published
- 10 Sep 2025
- KP atklāj karteli inženierkomunikāciju būvdarbu iepirkumos (10.09.2025) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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2 Jul 2025 ATE, s. r. o.; AŽD Praha s.r.o.; EPLcond a.s.; MONZAS, a.s.; První SaZ Plzeň a.s.; STARMON s.r.o.Railway signalling: 157.7 million CZK against six companies for bid rigging €6.39m
The six companies colluded on cover bids, market sharing and prices in 26 contracts awarded by the state railway infrastructure administration (total value over 850 million CZK, 2015–2021). In a settlement procedure, the Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže (Czech Office for the Protection of Competition, ÚOHS) imposed a total of 157.693 million CZK at first instance; two companies appealed against the amount.
A cover bid submitted ‘as a favour’ is bid rigging – sales and costing teams must be aware of this.
Cover bids and collusion in public tenders
Missing or inadequate training played a role in the decision.
- Authority / court
- Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže (ÚOHS)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Tschechisches Wettbewerbsgesetz, Art. 101 AEUV (Submissionsabsprachen)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- under appeal
- Sector
- Construction and real estate
- Culpability
- intentional
- Mitigating circumstances
- Settlement (20% reduction, no procurement ban), leniency application by one participant and compliance programmes at two companies.
- Published
- 2 Jul 2025
Original amount 157,693,000 CZK, converted at the ECB reference rate of 2 Jul 2025.
- Office Fines Major Cartel in Railway Construction Sector More Than CZK 150 million Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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13 May 2025 AS Asphaltstraßensanierung, BITUNOVA, Mainka u. a. (Straßenerhaltungskartell, 7 Unternehmen)Bundeskartellamt: 10.5 million EUR against seven road repair companies €10.5m
From 2016 to 2019, seven road repair companies allocated contracting authorities regionally, determined in advance who should win the contract and set each other minimum prices for cover bids. The Bundeskartellamt imposed fines of 10.5 million EUR; BITUNOVA cooperated as leniency applicant, and all proceedings ended in settlements. Addressees: AS Asphaltstraßensanierung GmbH, bausion Strassenbau-Produkte GmbH, BITUNOVA GmbH, Gerhard Herbers GmbH, Liesen … alles für den Bau GmbH, Mainka GmbH Straßenunterhaltung, MOT Müritzer Oberflächentechnik GmbH.
Cover bids are not only subject to fines but, for the employees involved, a criminal offence of bid rigging.
Cover bids and territorial agreements in tenders
- Authority / court
- Bundeskartellamt
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- § 1 GWB
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Construction and real estate
- Mitigating circumstances
- Leniency programme (BITUNOVA), settlement
- Liability of senior managers
- Criminal prosecution of the individuals involved by the Düsseldorf public prosecutor's office
- Published
- 13 May 2025
- Kartellabsprachen zwischen Straßenreparatur-Unternehmen Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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6 Nov 2024 Strabag AG (Köln); Kemna Bau Andreae GmbH & Co. KG als Kronzeuge ohne BußgeldBundeskartellamt: 2.79 million EUR against Strabag over collusion on Cologne's Zoobrücke €2.79m
In the tender for the refurbishment of the Zoobrücke bridge in Cologne in early 2017, employees agreed that one company would submit a cover bid so that the other would win the contract, in return for a later compensation payment. Strabag received a fine of 2.79 million EUR (settlement); the proceedings against Kemna were discontinued as it was the leniency applicant.
A single rigged tender is enough for a fine and criminal proceedings – compensation payments between bidders are a clear red flag.
Cover bids and compensation payments in individual tenders
- Authority / court
- Bundeskartellamt
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- § 1 GWB
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Construction and real estate
- Employees
- 10,000 or more
- Mitigating circumstances
- Settlement
- Liability of senior managers
- The Cologne public prosecutor's office is prosecuting the individuals involved under Section 298 StGB (German Criminal Code)
- Published
- 6 Nov 2024
- Geldbuße gegen die Strabag AG wegen Absprachen bei der Sanierung der Zoobrücke in Köln Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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16 Oct 2024 OGH: 65,000 EUR fine against joinery over cover bids and market sharing €65,000
From February 2011 to October 2016, a construction and furniture joinery anonymised in the decision (J*, together with its general partner GmbH) participated in agreements on successful bidders, cover bids, market sharing and information exchange in tenders in Lower Austria and Vienna. The Cartel Court imposed a fine of 55,000 EUR only for 26 infringements up to June 2016; the OGH upheld the appeals of the BWB and the Federal Cartel Prosecutor and set a fine of 65,000 EUR on a joint and several basis for the entire period.
Even small craft businesses are penalised for cover bids – "courtesy bids" among colleagues are competition law infringements.
Cover bids in tenders for craft trades
- Authority / court
- Oberster Gerichtshof als Kartellobergericht (Antrag der Bundeswettbewerbsbehörde)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- § 1 Abs 1 KartG 2005, §§ 28, 29 KartG
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Construction and real estate
- OGH 16 Ok 6/23b vom 16.10.2024 Court decision
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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28 Feb 2024 Bloem Infra B.V.; Den Ouden Infra B.V. (Kronzeuge, 0 €)Netherlands: 59,000 EUR against construction company over sham bid in school playground tender €59,000
In the tender for the design of a school playground in Roermond, Bloem Infra passed its bid on in advance to Den Ouden, which then deliberately bid higher (cover pricing). The Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) imposed a fine of 59,000 EUR on Bloem Infra; Den Ouden escaped a fine as the first to come forward.
Even a single "helper bid" between construction companies on a small municipal contract is sanctioned – the first to come forward goes unpunished.
Passing on one's own bids to co-bidders
- Authority / court
- Autoriteit Consument & Markt (ACM)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. 6 Mededingingswet (Kartellverbot)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Construction and real estate
- Mitigating circumstances
- Leniency programme (Den Ouden 100 %), fine reduction for Bloem Infra for cooperation and acknowledgement
- Published
- 7 Mar 2024
- Fine for cartel by building contractors involving the tender process for a school outdoor area Press release of an authority
- ACM, Boetebesluit aanbesteding buitenterrein Yuverta Roermond (28.02.2024) Decision of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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14 Dec 2023 BeMo Tunnelling, Echterhoff-Holland, Eiffage Infra-West, Fenne, Gehrken, IH Inpako, IHT, Karger, Korte, Mainka Bau, Möllmann, Rostek & Pesch, T&M Baugesellschaft, AKM VerwaltungsgesellschaftBundeskartellamt: 4.8 million EUR against 14 construction firms over collusion in industrial construction €4.8m
13 construction companies colluded on industrial construction contracts of Hüttenwerke Krupp Mannesmann (2011–2016), ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe (2007–2017) and Deutsche Edelstahlwerke (2014–2016) and sent each other their calculations so that the others could submit higher sham bids. The Bundeskartellamt imposed fines and liability amounts totalling around 4.8 million EUR on the companies, the former parent company AKM (the first liability amounts under the 2017 amendment to the GWB, the German Act against Restraints of Competition) and twelve responsible individuals; the leniency applicant Hermann Kassens escaped a fine.
Contracts from private industrial customers such as steelworks are also protected against bid rigging – exchanging calculations with competitors is prohibited.
Bid rigging in private industrial contracts
- Authority / court
- Bundeskartellamt
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- § 1 GWB
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Construction and real estate
- Mitigating circumstances
- Settlement by almost all companies; leniency applicant Hermann Kassens Bauunternehmung (proceedings discontinued)
- Liability of senior managers
- Fines or liability amounts imposed on twelve responsible individuals
- Published
- 14 Dec 2023
- Geldbußen und Haftungsbeträge wegen Absprachen im Industriebau Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link