CDC Hydrogen Peroxide SA prepares the assertion of damage claims from the victims of the bleaching agent cartel, concerning the markets for hydrogen peroxide and perborate.

In 2006, the European Commission imposed fines amounting to a total of €388.128 million total (COMP/38.620) against seven companies, namely

·         Edison/ex-Ausimont (now Solvay Solexis),

·         FMC Corporation/FMC Foret,

·         Kemira,

·         Snia/Caffaro,

·         Solvay und

·         Total/Elf Aquitaine/Arkema (formerly Atofina).

No fines could be imposed on L'Air Liquide (with its affiliate Chemoxal) as the company left the market in 1998. Furthermore, the company

·         Degussa

received full immunity, having denounced and having cooperated under the Commission's leniency programme. Notwithstanding, all of the cartel members may be subject to damages actions.

According to the findings of the Commission the cartel members exchanged commercially important and confidential information, limited production, allocated market shares and customers among each other and fixed and monitored (target) prices of hydrogen peroxide and perborate in the European Economic Area (EEA) between 1994 and 2000. Consequently, any company affected by these agreements may seek damages, notably purchasers of hydrogen peroxide using it as bleaching agent for instance in the pulp and paper industry, in the textile industry, for disinfection or in the environmental sector (e.g. sewage treatment) or as resource in the subsequent production of peroxide products (e.g. persalt). The same applies to purchasers of perborate (e.g. as agent in synthesized detergents or washing powders).

CDC Hydrogen Peroxide SA analyses and prepares damage claims of several major and medium-sized commercial customers of hydrogen peroxide and perborate.