Power Transformer Cartel Cos Mull Appealing EU Fines

Several companies facing European Commission antitrust fines over a power transformer cartel said Wednesday they are considering appealing the decision.

Swiss ABB Ltd. (ABB), France's Areva SA (CEI.FR) and Alstom SA (ALO.FR) and Japan's Fuji Electrics Co Ltd. (9883.TO), Hitachi Ltd. (HIT) and Toshiba Corp. (6502.TO) face a total of EUR67.6 million in fines for an oral market-sharing agreement, where the European and Japanese power transformer makers promised to stay out of each others' markets.

ABB, which faces the highest fine, said once it has the full decision from the commission it will consider its options for "appropriate next steps."

French industrial giant Alstom said it may appeal the decision once it has studied the commission's reasoning carefully.

A Toshiba spokesman said the company has cooperated fully in the commission's investigation, and maintains there was no infringement of European Union competition law. "Toshiba believes that the European Commission's conclusions are unfounded, and is currently considering appealing the decision," the spokesman added.

A Hitachi spokesman said it is reviewing the commission's judgment and it will consider whether to pay the fine or appeal it. Germany's Siemens AG (SIE.XE), which wasn't fined because it had alerted the commission to the cartel, said it had suspended the employees in its former power transmission group following the commission's 2007 cartel charges.

Areva declined to comment on the decision, while Fuji Electrics couldn't be reached for comment.

-By Peppi Kiviniemi, Dow Jones Newswires; [phone]; [e-mail]