After a 18-month investigation regarding, in particular, the activities of the Association of manufacturers, importers and suppliers of cosmetics and perfumery (ASCOPA), the Permanent Secretariat of the Competition Commission (COMCO) has requested sanctions against several companies in the perfumes and cosmetics industry.
ASCOPA’s membership consists mainly in high-end brands from the selective distribution channel. L’Oreal Produits de Luxe Suisse, Chanel, Clarins, Parfums Christian Dior and YSL Beauté, are among the companies concerned by this request.
The Secretariat of the COMCO, which conducts investigations and prepares the Commission’s decisions, is accusing ASCOPA member companies of “illegal agreements on prices and quantities.” The Secretariat claims to have accumulated “increasingly obvious evidences that “that the companies concerned were able to harmonize their prices and protect their market share thanks to information exchanges”.
L’Oreal’s Swiss subsidiary has denied any violation of the competition laws in Switzerland and said it would respond to the COMCO Secretariat allegations as soon as it will be notified the details as the procedure provides.
The proposed fines are calculated based on each company’s turnover and depend on the severity of the violation. They can range from 17,000 to 25.5 million Swiss francs.
The Competition Commission will adopt a final decision on the basis of the Secretariat’s report, comments received from concerned firms, as well as on possible hearings.
