The Portuguese Competition Authority (Autoridade da Concorrência - AdC) has imposed a fine of €150,000 on Ford, for providing false, inaccurate or incomplete information further to a request of the AdC in the context of sectoral inquiry on the automotive sector.

 

The proceedings were opened in the beginning of April 2015 and the Statement of Objections (communication of the accusation) was issued on 8 April 2015, allowing for the defendant to exercise its right of hearing and defense. Ford sent its observations to the AdC’s Statement of Objections on 12 may 2015, which were taken into account in the AdC’s Decision.

 

The provision by an undertaking, following an AdC’s request, of all information in its possession that is to the best of its knowledge accurate and complete, is fundamental for the proper exercise of the AdC’s sanctioning and supervision powers.

 

In this regard, the supply by an undertaking, either negligently or deliberately, of information that turns out to be misleading or incomplete, could conceal competition problems in the market and harm businesses and consumers, besides raising obstacles to the investigation, thus leading to unnecessary spending of time and resources.

 

This is the third time in 2015 that the AdC imposes a fine for providing false, inaccurate or incomplete information, pursuant to the Competition Act.

 

The PCA’s decision is subject to judicial review by the Competition Regulation and Supervision Court.