ANALYSIS: Cartel Leniency Tip-Off Clears German Court Hurdle

A German regional court has dismissed a lawsuit that accused Germany’s antitrust authority of illegally offering leniency to some—but not all—members of a cartel. Because the fundamental right to equal treatment before the law is at stake, the case could have implications for other EU enforcers and the lawyers who have to deal with them.

The court could have curbed the independence of the Bundeskartellamt, and sought to hold the standard-bearing German authority liable for damages for alleged rights violations against companies it investigates and fines. Instead, the agency said that a regional court in Bonn dismissed the case on ...