BRUSSELS (AP) -- The European Union's competition watchdog says it settled a cartel case with four producers of the glass tubes used in traditional computer and television screens.
The European Commission said Wednesday it fined Japan's firms Asahi Glass and Nippon Electric as well as Germany's Schott AG a total of 128.7 million euro ($176 million). Korea-based Samsung Corning Precision Materials escaped a fine because it blew the whistle on the cartel.
The Commission said the four firms fixed prices for the glass used in so-called cathode ray tubes between Feb. 1999 and Dec. 2004.
Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia said he commended "the companies' readiness to settle, which enabled the Commission to conclude the case more rapidly and won them a reduction of the fine."