ESA attacks historic port agreement
Color Line disagrees with the decision of the EFTA Surveillance Authority, ESA, which today announced that Color Line has breached competition rules through an agreement with Strømstad port. The port agreement was signed by Scandi Line in 1991.
ESA has today announced a decision to give Color Line a fine of 18.811 million Euro, equivalent to about 145 million Kroner for breach of competition rules. The decision applies to a port deal that was signed in 1991 by Scandi Line, which then operated the route.
Norwegian and Swedish authorities demanded a concession to operate duty-free sales on the route until 2002. Larvik Scandi Line took over the route in 1994 and Color Line took over in 2000. ESA believes that the competitor excluding agreement has been going on since 1994, when the Competition Act came into force and until December 2005.
ESA assumes that Torskeholmen in Strømstad is the only possible port of destination on the route between Norway and Bohuslän in Sweden. It is well documented that there are alternative ports in Bohuslän. This includes the deep-water port in Kålvik, the nearest neighbor to Nordby Shopping center.
Color Line will consider to bring the decision of ESA before the EFTA Court.
Brief history:
1986 Sandefjord – Strømstad was started by Scandi Lines AS.
1994 Scandi Line was dissolved on June 1st, 1994. The business was transferred to listed Larvik Scandi Line.
1996 ON Sunde AS gain 100 per cent ownership in 1996 through the gradual acquisition.
2000 Color Scandi Line AS merged with Color Line AS. Color Line became the operating company for the Sandefjord – Strømstad route.
For further information:
Executive Vice President Public Affairs, for Color Line, Helge Otto Mathisen,
+47 99 22 33 30
Media Centre: +47 23 11 81 94