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Spanish hauliers sue oil companies for abusive pricing for the third time

Fenadsimer, the Spanish hauliers' organization, has announced its intention to file a new macro class action lawsuit against oil companies operating in Spain for the alleged abusive overpricing of fuel sales in 2022. The organization claims that the oil companies appropriated a portion of the government-approved subsidies intended to counteract price increases resulting from the war in Ukraine.

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This forthcoming lawsuit will supplement the two previous claims filed by Fenadsimer in 2022, which attracted participation from over 5,000 companies and self-employed hauliers. In those cases, the claimed amount exceeded 15,000 euros per lorry.

Fenadsimer, in collaboration with its regional branches, has already commenced the necessary procedures for initiating the new macro-claim against a majority of the oil companies operating in Spain.

The legal action accuses these companies of engaging in continuous practices over the past year, and previous years, to artificially inflate fuel prices, thus adversely affecting both professional consumers and individuals. This conduct has popularly come to be known as the “oil companies’ cartel”.

Several expert studies commissioned by Fenadsimer have substantiated the organization’s allegations. These studies, to be included in the upcoming claim, indicate that during 2022, as a result of the significant rise in international oil prices caused by the Ukrainian conflict, oil companies capitalized on a portion of the government subsidies meant to mitigate the price surge.

They allegedly factored in this aid when setting final fuel prices, resulting in historical price increases surpassing those witnessed in previous years. The studies demonstrate that fuel prices in Spain when compared to countries without aid policies, were inflated by up to 6 cents per litre.

Fenadsimer invites hauliers who have not previously joined the claims, as well as those who have participated in earlier lawsuits and wish to claim for overcharges in the last year, to join the forthcoming legal action. The organization emphasizes that participation in the new claim is free of charge and can be done through any of its regional organizations.

The formalization of the new claim is expected in July.

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