Court defeat for refineries: Cartel Office reports initial successes in fuel price investigations

The Federal Cartel Office must promptly obtain the necessary information about markets in order to protect consumers.

— Federal Minister for Economic Affairs Katherina Reiche, told Bild newspaper, in relation to reports about the cartel office's information orders concerning fuel prices

The burden of proof reversal helps us, I think, quite a lot. It’s no longer us who have to prove to the companies that their prices are abusively inflated. The companies must prove to us that the costs actually occurred, that they allocated them correctly. This gives us the possibility to intervene if necessary. At the same time, we are better prepared for the future, because we understand the cost structures and the behavior of the companies better.

— Andreas Mundt, President of the Bundeskartellamt, in an interview with Vivian Micks