The Austrian competition authority has announced a fine of EUR 175,000 against Huber Entsorgungsgesellschaft m.b.H. Nfg. KG and Huber Abfallservice Verwaltungsgesellschaft m.b.H. for their involvement in a cartel that engaged in price-fixing, market division, and the exchange of sensitive competitive information.

Huber participated in these illegal activities from 2003 until March 2021, primarily in the Carinthia region, but the cartel's effects were felt across Austria. The cartel operated from at least July 2002 to March 2021, facilitating mutual contract awards among companies and reducing uncertainties regarding future business conduct.

As part of the investigation, Huber cooperated with the Austrian competition authority under the leniency program, providing comprehensive admissions that led to a request for a reduced fine. The authority is still investigating several other companies involved in the waste management sector, supported by extensive data collected during raids in 2021 and 2022.

The cartel's activities included price agreements, market and customer allocations, and the sharing of sensitive information related to public and private tenders, ultimately creating a complex network of collusion that spanned the entire country.