In the cartel investigation "Metal Closures" against several manufacturers of metal packaging, the Federal Cartel Office has now closed the investigation against the company Pano Verschluss GmbH from Itzehoe, Schleswig-Holstein. Dr. Maxim Kleine, antitrust law expert and partner at GÖRG Partnerschaft von Rechtsanwälten mbB, had successfully defended Pano Verschluss GmbH with his team since the search in October 2015.
In October 2015, the German Federal Cartel Office had conducted the search of Pano before the proceedings were then continued by the European Commission in 2019 and have now been concluded. Unlike other manufacturers under investigation, lawyer Kleine, representing Pano, denied the allegations of antitrust violations from the outset. During the period concerned by the cartel allegations, the company had relied on PVC-free closures at an early stage and significantly earlier than competitors had, thus setting itself apart from most of its competitors at a very early stage.
After almost seven years of investigations, the proceedings against Pano Verschluss GmbH have now been discontinued without imposing a fine or any other conditions. It is thus clear that the suspicion of involvement in antitrust restraints of competition against the company was unfounded.
Advisors Pano Verschluss GmbH
GÖRG Partnerschaft von Rechtsanwälten mbB
Dr. Maxim Kleine (Lead, Partner, Antitrust Law, Hamburg)
Katja Maria Weiß (Associated Partner, Antitrust Law, Berlin)
Dr. Tobias Teichner (Associate, Antitrust Law, Hamburg)
About Pano Verschluss GmbH
Pano Verschluss GmbH is a provider of sustainable solutions for the secure closing of glass containers in the food industry. The product range includes high-quality PVC-free rotary cam closures, snap-on closures and disposable closures, resealable two-piece cans as well as jar sealing machines including feeding systems and vacuum detectors.
