CDC currently verifies the enforcement of damage claims against the members of the sodium chlorate cartel. On 11 June 2008 the European Commission imposed fines amounting to a total of €79 million against four groups of companies, namely

• EKA Chemicals / Akzo Nobel,

• Finnish Chemicals / Erikem Luxembourg,

• Arkema France / Elf Aquitaine and

• Aragonesas Industrias y Energia / Uralita,

According to the findings of the Commission the four producers of sodium chlorate fixed prices, allocated sales volumes, exchanged sensitive commercial information and followed up the implementation of their illegal agreements in the period from 1994 to 2000.

The investigations were triggered by an application for immunity under the the Commission's leniency programme lodged by EKA Chemicals, a subsidiary of Akzo Nobel, in March 2003. Both companies received full immunity from fines as they were first to cooperate with the Commission in the uncovering of the cartel. Without the leniency bonus a fine totalling €116 million would have been imposed. Finnish Chemicals was rewarded a 50% reduction of its fine because it also made an application under the leniency programme and co-operated with the investigation.

The fine imposed on Arkema France was increased by 90% because it had participated in three cartels before (peroxygen products in 1984, polypropylene in 1986 and PVC in 1994).