The Danish Christmas Tree Association is a

trade association A trade association, also known as an industry trade group, business association, sector association or industry body, is an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific Industry (economics), industry. Through collabor ...

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

which represents the growers of natural

Christmas trees A Christmas tree is a decorated tree, usually an evergreen conifer, such as a spruce, pine or fir, associated with the celebration of Christmas. It may also consist of an artificial tree of similar appearance. The custom was developed in Ce ...

2007 price fixing scandal

On December 17, 2007 the Danish Christmas Tree Growers Association was charged with

price fixing Price fixing is an anticompetitive agreement between participants on the same side in a market to buy or sell a product, service, or commodity only at a fixed price, or maintain the market conditions such that the price is maintained at a given ...

by the state prosecutor for serious economic crimes. The association was accused of sending price guidelines to its members suggesting a price increase of 10 to 25 percent.Cockcroft, Lucy and Simpson, Aislinn.
Danish accused of Christmas tree price fix
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'', December 20, 2007, accessed September 23, 2012. In 2007, prices eventually rose 25 percent for Nordmann firs,Tagliabue, John.
Denmark: Christmas-Tree Growers Face Cartel Charges
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'', December 20, 2007, accessed September 23, 2012. the most popular variety in Denmark and most of Europe.Frampton, John and McKinley, Craig.
Christmas Trees and Greenery in Denmark: Production and Tree Improvement
," ''American Christmas Tree Journal'', 1999, Vol. 43(2):4-11, accessed September 23, 2012. Charges were handed down after the Danish Competition Authority warned the DCTGA in 2001 and 2005 about the same practices.The Danish Supreme Court Increases Fines for Price Fixing
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'', September 30, 2010, accessed September 23, 2012.In Denmark, price fixing on Christmas trees?
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'', December 20, 2007, accessed September 23, 2012. Both the association itself and the association's director at the time Kaj Østergaard were charged in the case.Christmas tree growers in Denmark are needled by price fixing probe
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'', December 20, 2007, accessed September 23, 2012. On September 24, 2009, the Eastern High Court handed down a judgement in the price fixing case. The Danish Christmas Tree Growers Association was fined. The court ruled that the DCGTA had published price statistics and a price calculation model, as well as other tools which were used to guide member pricing, including minimum prices.Bertleson, Erik, and others.
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, book chapter), from ''Competition Law'',

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, 2011, p. Denmark-85, (), accessed September 23, 2012. The Eastern High Court's original fines took into account the repeated warning the association had been given. The

Danish Supreme Court The Supreme Court (, lit. ''Highest Court'', , ) is the supreme court and the third and final instance in all civil and criminal cases in the Kingdom of Denmark. It is based at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen which also houses the Danish P ...

eventually reviewed the case and imposed even stiffer fines that the Eastern High Court had. The Supreme Court fined the DCTGA 500,000 kroner and increased the fines against members of the executive committee from 15,000 kroner to 25,000 kroner. Both the association and its "manager" were convicted in the case. With the allegations and conviction the DCTGA has been repeatedly referred to as a

cartel A cartel is a group of independent market participants who collaborate with each other as well as agreeing not to compete with each other in order to improve their profits and dominate the market. A cartel is an organization formed by producers ...

.Danish Christmas-Tree Growers Face Cartel Charges (Update1)
, December 18, 2007, ''

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'', accessed September 23, 2012.Danes chop down tree cartel
", '' canada.com'' via ''

Ottawa Citizen The ''Ottawa Citizen'' is an English-language daily newspaper owned by Postmedia Network in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. History Established as the Bytown ''Packet'' in 1845 by William Harris (journalist), William Harris, it was renamed the ''Ci ...

'', December 19, 2007, accessed September 23, 2012.Anderson, Robert.
Fir flies as Xmas tree growers are charged with price fixing
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Financial Times The ''Financial Times'' (''FT'') is a British daily newspaper printed in broadsheet and also published digitally that focuses on business and economic Current affairs (news format), current affairs. Based in London, the paper is owned by a Jap ...

'', December 19, 2007, accessed September 23, 2012.

Leadership

*Association "Managers"History
, ''Danish Christmas Tree Growers Association'', official site, accessed September 23, 2012. (often referred to as "director") **1984-1985: Esben Møller-Madsen **1985-1993: Kaj Østergaard **1993-1995: Asger Olsen **1995-1996: Jøns Dalum **1996-1998: Jens Søgaard Jacobsen **1999-2011: Kaj Østergaard **2011-present: Claus Jerram Christensen

References

External links

Official site
{{Christmas trees Christmas tree production Trade associations based in Denmark Christmas organizations