Arjo Wiggins Appleton may appeal against a 115.1m fine imposed by the European Commission (EC) for its part in a pan-European carbonless paper cartel.

The Commission handed out 196m of fines to 10 firms after it concluded that they "put into effect an illegal plan aimed at improving profitability through collective price increases" between 1992 and 1995.

Along with what was described as the main instigator, Arjo Wiggins, were Carrs Paper, Mitsubishi HiTech Paper Bielefeld, Papierfabrik August Koehler, Zanders Feinpapiere, Bollor, Torraspapel, Papeteries, Distribuidora Vizcaina de Papeles and Papelera Guipuzcoana de Zicunaga.

EC competition commissioner Mario Monti said: "This case comes at the end of a year in which the Commission has taken a long line of decisions against cartels of all kinds. The Commission has given itself the wherewithal to detect and pursue such offences and impose effective penalties."

The penalties for those involved in the carbonless cartel were the second largest in the ECs history.

A spokesman for Arjo Wiggins Appletons French parent firm, Worms & Cie, said it had no comment on the ECs punishment, but added: "Were waiting to get official notification from the European Commission to see if we can appeal."

The EC said it had evidence that 11 carbonless suppliers met regularly to agree price rises and timetables to implement them.

In a statement the EC said: "In order to ensure implementation of the agreed price increases, a sales quota was allocated to the various participants and a market share was fixed for each of them at certain national cartel meetings."

It launched its enquiry in 1996 after it was contacted by Sappi, which was granted immunity as it co-operated throughout the course of the investigation, ended its involvement in the cartel and had not acted as an instigator of the cartel.

Monti said: "I hope companies are fully aware of the risks they run when they collude. They should also know that the only way of alleviating the legal and financial consequences they face is to come and talk to us."

Papierfabrik August Koehler, Zanders Feinpapiere and Mitsubishi HiTech Paper Bielefeld declined to comment as PrintWeek went to press.

Story by John Davies