Papermakers Felt Association

Text (OCR of the scan at left; may contain errors)

IN THE MATTER OF PAPERMAKERS FELT ASSOCIATION, ET AL.

SET ASIDE ORDER IN REGARD TO ALLEGED VIOLATION OF SEC. 5 OF THE FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION ACT Docket C-828. Consent Order, Sept. 9, 1964--Set Aside Order, Nov. 22, 1995 This order reopens a 1964 consent order--which prohibited Papermakers Felt Association and its members from combining or conspiring to fix prices or terms of sale, or to enter into specific other agreements to restrain competition in the papermakers felt industry--and sets aside the consent order pursuant to the Commission's Sunset Policy Statement, under which the Commission presumes that the public interest requires terminating competition orders that are more than 20 years old.

ORDER REOPENING PROCEEDING AND SETTING ASIDE ORDER On August 1, 1995, Albany International Corp., the successor to respondent Albany Felt Company (collectively "Albany"), filed its Petition To Reopen and Set Aside Consent Order ("Petition") in this matter. Albany requests that the Commission set aside the 1964 order pursuant to Rule 2.51 of the Commission's Rules of Practice, 16 CFR 2.51, and the Statement of Policy With Respect to Duration of Competition Orders and Statement of Intention to Solicit Public Comment With Respect to Duration of Consumer Protection Orders, issued July 22, 1994, and published at 59 Fed. Reg. 45,286-92 (Sept. 1, 1994) ("Sunset Policy Statement"). In the Petition, Albany affirmatively states that it has not engaged in any conduct violating the terms of the order. The Petition was placed on the public record, and the thirty-day comment period expired on September 11, 1995. No comments were received.

The Commission in its July 22, 1994, Sunset Policy Statement said, in relevant part, that "effective immediately, the Commission will presume, in the context of petitions to reopen and modify existing orders, that the public interest requires setting aside orders in effect for more than twenty years."' The Commission's order in Docket No. C-828 was issued on September 9, 1964, and has been in effect for approximately thirty-one years. Consistent with the See Sunset Policy Statement, 59 Fed. Reg. at 45,289. Set Aside Order 120 F.T.C.

Commission's Sunset Policy Statement, the presumption is that the order should be terminated. Nothing to overcome the presumption having been presented, the Commission has determined to reopen the proceeding and set aside the order in Docket No. C-828 as to respondent Albany.

Accordingly, /t is ordered, That this matter be, and it hereby is, reopened;

It is further ordered, That the Commission's order in Docket No. C-828 be, and it hereby is, set aside as to respondent Albany, as of the effective date of this order.

COLUMBIA/HCA HEALTHCARE CORPORATION 949 949 Complaint