EU High Court Cuts Fine Against Volkswagen

The European Union’s high court reduced a fine against Volkswagen, saying the German auto maker violated rules on marketing cars in Italy in the 1990s but for a shorter period than the EU had contended. The court, in Brussels, Belgium, let stand a 1998 finding that Volkswagen had violated European Union fair trade rules by forcing its dealers in Italy not to sell to foreigners, only to residents and nationals of Italy. “The allegations against Volkswagen were accurate,” the court said. But it cut the original fine of $96.9 million to $85.5 million, saying the infringement had lasted only from 1993 to 1996 and that the EU head office had failed to prove it lasted beyond that. Volkswagen reacted by saying it may file another appeal. The Volkswagen fine remains the largest the EU high court has ever levied against a European company.