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Competition laws
Our Business Principles support free enterprise and require us to compete ethically, fairly and in-line with applicable competition laws at all times. Constant effort is required to make sure we follow this requirement everywhere and at all times.
We seek to do business fairly, ethically and in accordance with applicable competition laws (also known as antitrust laws or trade practices laws), which prohibit practices like price-fixing and market sharing. Our Code of Conduct makes it clear that no violations of competition laws will be tolerated, and that a violation of the rules will result in disciplinary action up to and including dismissal.
Staff training and awareness
We have been running an extensive training programme since the early-1990s to help employees follow competition laws. As part of our Global Antitrust Compliance Programme, anyone in contact with competitors, suppliers or business customers is required to take training.
Monitoring and reporting
We monitor all the countries in which we trade and report publicly where we have been found guilty by any Competition Authority of having violated competition law.
In November 2008, the Greek authorities fined Shell €19.6 million for alleged parallel pricing with BP at service stations in 2003. We are appealing this case. In December 2008, we were fined €10.5 million for fixing the price of aviation fuel on certain flights in 2002–3 on the French island of La Reunion. In October 2008, the European Commission in Brussels ruled against nine companies, including Shell, for fixing prices of paraffin wax. We were not fined because we informed the Commission of the issue. We deeply regret that such violations occurred.
