An appeals court has upheld a multi-million fine against Heineken imposed by the Hellenic Competition Commission (HCC).
The appeal came after a 2015 decision by the HCC against Heineken’s subsidiary Athenian Brewery (AB) in Greece and found it engaged in “illegal anti-competitive market abuse” for almost 20 years in that country.
The HCC found AB forced an illegal policy to exclude local competitors from “all channels” — including bars, restaurants, retail and wholesalers.
Along with Heineken, the brewer sells Alfa and Amstel in Greece.
“Following a 12-year-long HCC investigation, the longest in its history, Athenian Brewery was found to have systematically abused its dominant market position in violation of Greek and EU competition law,” a statement from the brewery read.
Macedonian Thrace Brewery welcomed the appeals court judgment against Heineken’s 98.8% owned Greek operating company and is claiming the decision could mean a judgment against Europe’s biggest brewery for damages exceeding €100 million (US$114 million). It described the ruling as “damning”.
Full Content: The Drinks Business
Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.
Featured News
T-Mobile Faces Class-Action Lawsuit Over Sprint Merger After Appeal Denied
May 16, 2024 by
CPI
Google Faces Backlash Over Introduction of AI-Generated Summaries in Searches
May 16, 2024 by
CPI
CMA Launches Phase 2 Probe into AlphaTheta’s Acquisition of Serato
May 16, 2024 by
CPI
NFL Executive Escapes Testifying in High-Stakes Trial Over Televised Games
May 16, 2024 by
CPI
EU Consumers Lodge Complaint Against Chinese Retailer Temu Over Content Rules Breach
May 16, 2024 by
CPI
Antitrust Mix by CPI
Antitrust Chronicle® – Ecosystems
May 9, 2024 by
CPI
Mapping Antitrust onto Digital Ecosystems
May 9, 2024 by
CPI
Ecosystems and Competition Law: A Law and Political Economy Approach
May 9, 2024 by
CPI
Ecosystem Theories of Harm: What is Beyond the Buzzword?
May 9, 2024 by
CPI
Open Ecosystems: Benefits, Challenges, and Implications for Antitrust
May 9, 2024 by
CPI