Bratislava, March 10, 2026 — The Antimonopoly Office of the Slovak Republic (PMÚ) has imposed fines totalling €97,434,800 on manufacturers and suppliers of cables containing copper and aluminium for participating in a cartel agreement that coordinated pricing practices.
The decision, issued on February 12, 2026, represents the highest aggregate fine imposed by the authority in a single proceeding to date. According to the PMÚ, the companies coordinated the method for calculating surcharges linked to copper and aluminium prices, which form a significant part of the final price of cables.
By agreeing on a common method of calculating these surcharges, known as quotations, the undertakings limited price competition, which could have led to higher prices for customers.
Cables containing copper and aluminium are widely used in sectors such as construction, energy, automotive and telecommunications. The authority noted that the automotive industry plays a significant role in the Slovak market for cable production and supply.
The PMÚ found that the cartel involved the companies ELKOND HHK a.s., VUKI a.s., Prysmian Cable s.r.o., Prysmian Cables s.r.o., Kablo Vrchlabí s.r.o., NKT s.r.o., PRECON s.r.o., Tele-Fonika Cables CZ s.r.o., KABEX CABLE COMPANY, Inc., ICS Industrial Cables Slovakia spol. s r.o., and PRAKAB Pražská Kabelovna s.r.o., as well as the Association of Cable and Wire Manufacturers of the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic, which acted as a facilitator.
ICS Industrial Cables Slovakia and PRAKAB Pražská Kabelovna were not fined after applying for leniency and providing evidence of the cartel agreement, which led to inspections by the authority.
The PMÚ noted that companies can obtain immunity from fines under its leniency programme if they are the first to provide evidence of an illegal agreement, or receive reductions of up to 50% if they submit evidence that adds value to existing information. The authority also indicated that undertakings that cooperate under the leniency programme will not automatically face a ban from participating in public procurement.
In addition, companies may obtain a reduction in fines through a settlement procedure by admitting their participation in the infringement. Under this mechanism, fines may be reduced by up to 30% in cartel cases.
The decision is not final and the companies may appeal within the statutory deadline.
