Support from colleagues or anti-trust trap?

Supply associations are important for the concrete and prefabricated concrete industry, whenever companies participate in a bidding or realize projects with a considerable volume. From 2015 the German federal anti-trust authority has set up constantly stricter rules for supply associations to be legal under the prohibition of cartels.

The legal frame for the foundation of supply associations is formed by the prohibition of cartels. Therefore agreements in restraint of trade are principally illegal. But agreements in restraint of trade are a subject of every supply association between...