Post

Highest cartel/#antitrust fine ever imposed in 🇦🇹: Construction firm STRABAG today ordered to pay €146 million after competition authority @bwboesterreich.bsky.social found STRABAG to have withheld information in immunity/leniency proceedings. STRABAG has accepted the fine.

11/3/26, 4:06 pm1 repost2 likes

Florian Prischl

@florianprischl.com

11 Mar

This follows, and increases, a 2021 fine of ~€45 million on STRABAG in relation to a long-running, long-investigated construction cartel in Austria. After that, criminal investigations into the cartel apparently revealed STRABAG involvement not disclosed to Austrian Federal Competition Authority.

Florian Prischl

@florianprischl.com

11 Mar

My analysis: 1) Austria continues path of higher #antitrust / #competition law fines. Acceptance by STRABAG may show that risk appetite for appeals re: fines is severely reduced following last year's €70 mil REWE fine. 2) @bwboesterreich.bsky.social demonstrates resolution and skill in prosecution.

Florian Prischl

@florianprischl.com

11 Mar

3) BWB (FCA) is constrained by law (good) and its comparatively small budget, leading into next point:

Florian Prischl

@florianprischl.com

11 Mar

4) This result is based on criminal investigations by public prosecution into criminal bid rigging. Interplay of Austrian criminal and competition law can be tricky, in particular re: sharing of info and access to file (recently partially adjudicated by ECJ C-2/23).