27.10.2007 Official Journal of the European Union L 283/63 (Acts adopted under the EC Treaty/Euratom Treaty whose publication is not obligatory) DECISIONS COMMISSION COMMISSION DECISION of 20 September 2006 relating to a proceeding under Article 81 of the Treaty establishing the European Community and Article 53 of the EEA Agreement (Case COMP/F/38.121 — Fittings) (notified under document number C(2006) 4180) (Only the English, German, Spanish, Italian and French versions are authentic) (Text with EEA relevance) (2007/691/EC) SUMMARY OF THE INFRINGEMENT The Decision was addressed to Aalberts Industries NV, Aquatis France SAS, Simplex Armaturen + Fittings GmbH & Co. KG, VSH Italia Srl, Yorkshire Fittings Limited, Advanced Fluid Connections plc, IBP Limited, International Building Products France SA, International Building Products GmbH, Delta plc, Aldway Nine Limited, Delta Engineering Holdings Limited, Druryway Samba Limited, Flowflex Holdings Ltd, Flowflex Compornents Ltd, IMI plc, IMI Kynoch Ltd, Mueller Industries Inc, Mueller Europe Ltd, WTC Holding Company Inc, Pegler Ltd, Tomkins plc, FRA.BO SpA, Supergrif SL, SANHA Kaimer GmbH & Co. KG, Kaimer GmbH & Co. Holdings KG, SANHA Italia srl, Viega GmbH & Co. KG, Legris Industries SA and Comap SA. The above 30 legal entities (belonging to 11 under- takings, with some legal entities held liable as parent companies) committed an infringement of Article 81 of the EC Treaty and Article 53 of the EEA Agreement by participating in a single and continuous infringement between 31 December 1988 and 1 April 2004 in the fittings industry in the EEA. Not all the undertakings participated to the infringement for its entire duration. The infringement’s main features included: competitors discussing prices, agreeing, implementing and monitoring price agreements as well as discounts and rebates, agreeing on implementation mechanisms, allocating of markets and customers, exchanging commercially important and confidential market andfor company relevant information, participating in regular meetings and having other contacts to agree to the above restrictions and monitor implementation within the EEA. THE FITTINGS INDUSTRY The product concerned is copper fittings including copper alloy fittings (such as gunmetal, brass and other copper-based alloys). A fitting connects tubes used in the transportation of water, air, gas, etc. for plumbing, heating, sanitation and other purposes. There are various types of fittings such as end-feed, solder ring, compression, press and push-fit. All these types are implicated in this Decision. The investigation showed that the cartel covered the whole of the EEA. The 2003 EEA market value for copper and copper alloy fittings was approximately EUR 525 million for about 960 million pieces. PROCEDURE In January 2001 the company Mueller Industries Inc informed the Commission of the existence of a cartel in the Fittings industry (and in other related industries in the copper tubes market) and expressed the wish to cooperate with the Commission under the 1996 Leniency Notice. Mueller provided the Commission with evidence that enabled the carrying out of inspections.