The Hellenic Competition Commission imposes total fines of 28,5 million euro on super markets and dairy processors for entering into anti-competitive vertical agreements

The HCC examined the vertical aspects of the market for milk and dairy products, investigating six supermarket chains and four dairy processors. It found that they had entered into agreements containing resale price maintenance provisions as well as passive sales restrictions, thus violating the very basic prohibition of Article 1 para.1 of Law 703/77. Retail prices were to a large extent dictated by dairy companies and were accepted by supermarkets, reducing competition in the market for dairy products to the detriment of consumers.

This decision follows an HCC decision in early December imposing fines of 48,27 million euro in total on dairy processors for participating in a price fixing cartel. For more information, please visit the HCC’s website.