The European Court of Justice (ECJ) is behind the car manufacturers in the dispute over the lack of competition in car spare parts. These must not guarantee independent workshops and dealers free access to spare parts databases. There will be no greater competition and thus cheaper car parts.
The process between the GVA and the Korean manufacturer Kia was concerned with the question of whether free traders are disadvantaged in the spare parts business. The association criticized, electronic spare parts databases would be made available to independent repairers and dealers only inadequate.
As a result, automakers have made it difficult for dealers and garages to find out which parts can be fitted in which vehicle - to the detriment of customers who overpaid for parts and repairs.
The court contradicted the GVA with the current verdict. The judges concluded that automakers were not required to "give independent market participants access to repair and maintenance information for vehicles in electronically processed form."
