LUXEMBOURG (CN) - The adviser to the top European court urged the court to uphold a fine of 37 million euros against U.S. food processing giant Archer Daniels Midland and four other companies for their roles in a sodium gluconate cartel.
The ADM was one of five companies fined by the European Commission for using sales quotas and fixing prices in the market for the food additive sodium gluconate.
ADM appealed the fine in the Court of First Instance, but lost its bid to have the court reduce or drop the fine.
The company is appealing the case to the European Court of Justice, claiming the commission misapplied fining guidelines, exaggerated the severity of the violation and ignored mitigating factors.
Advocate General Verica Trstenjak concluded that the high court should dismiss the appeal, "(s)ince, in my view, none of the grounds of appeal is successful."
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