COPENHAGEN, May 5, 2026 — Danish spare-parts distributor Diesel Motor Nordic has indicated it is prepared to pay a fine of 1 million Danish crowns ($145,000) for its role in an antitrust case involving German engine manufacturer Deutz AG and spare parts for Denmark’s IC3 trains.
The Danish Competition and Consumer Authority said the unlawful conduct resulted in state railway operator DSB paying inflated prices for train spare parts and contributed to trains remaining out of service longer than necessary, disrupting passengers.
According to the authority, Deutz and Diesel Motor Nordic prevented a competing supplier from accessing unique spare parts needed to refurbish IC3 trains. The companies thereby forced DSB to purchase the parts from Diesel Motor Nordic at higher prices.
The case dates back to a 2013 ruling by Denmark’s Competition Council, which found that Deutz had refused to supply spare parts for IC3 trains and blocked parallel imports in coordination with Diesel Motor Nordic, in breach of Danish and EU competition law.
The decision was upheld later that year by the Competition Appeals Tribunal and subsequently confirmed by the Maritime and Commercial Court in 2021. In 2023, the Eastern High Court referred the matter back to competition authorities for reconsideration, before Denmark’s Supreme Court ruled in 2024 that the two companies had violated competition law.
The Danish authority said the criminal proceedings concerning sanctions could proceed only after the Supreme Court ruling.
While Diesel Motor Nordic has now signaled willingness to pay the fine, proceedings against Deutz — including the question of penalties — are still expected to be decided by the courts.
The authority noted that the sanctions case is being handled by Denmark’s National Unit for Special Crime because the matter predates 2021 reforms that transferred responsibility for corporate competition fines to the competition authority itself.
