BRUSSELS, April 1 (Reuters) - The European Commission

issued on Tuesday a fine amounting to about 458 million euros

($494.64 million) to 15 major car manufacturers and the European

Automobiles Manufacturers' Association for participating in a

cartel regarding end-of-life vehicle recycling.

End-of-life vehicle recycling is when cars are dismantled

and processed for recycling and disposal once they are no longer

fit for use.

The Commission said that over a 15 years span, 16 car

manufacturers, including Toyota ( TM ), Volkswagen

and BMW, and the ACEA entered into anticompetitive

agreements and engaged in concerted practices related to the

recycling of the cars.

Mercedes-Benz, which also participated, was not

fined because it revealed the cartel to the commission under the

leniency programme.

In 2022 EU antitrust regulators raided several automotive

companies and associations on suspicion of breaching the bloc's

cartel rules.

($1 = 0.9259 euros)