ACS and construction cartel case moves toward sentencing

A Spanish court has moved the case involving ACS and a construction cartel toward a final ruling. The legal proceedings stem from a 2022 investigation by the National Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC) into six major construction groups: Dragados, FCC, Ferrovial, Acciona, OHLA, and Sacyr.

The CNMC alleges these companies engaged in anti-competitive practices between 1992 and 2017 by exchanging sensitive information regarding public tenders and joint ventures. This conduct reportedly reduced competition and diversity in bids submitted to public administrations. The regulator imposed fines totaling 203.6 million euros, with Dragados facing the highest penalty.

While the execution of the sanctions remains suspended pending the appeal, judges must now decide whether to uphold the fines or accept the arguments of companies like Dragados, which denies wrongdoing. A final verdict is expected between late 2026 and early 2027 and will likely influence future ability for these firms to contract with public administrations.