Heineken must pay over 111 million euros in damages to Greek competitor
Heineken has been ordered by an Amsterdam court to pay 111.2 million euros in damages to Greek competitor MTB. The ruling stems from the abuse of a dominant market position by Heineken's Greek subsidiary, which hindered competition through exclusive retail deals for nearly two decades.
The Amsterdam District Court has ordered beer giant Heineken to pay 111.2 million euros in damages to the Greek brewery MTB. This ruling follows a finding by Greek competition authorities that Heineken's subsidiary, Athenian Brewery, abused its dominant market position for many years. The court determined that MTB suffered sixteen years of lost profits, totaling 43.3 million euros, plus 67.9 million euros in accrued interest dating back to 1998.
The conflict originated from practices where Athenian Brewery allegedly hindered competition by securing exclusive agreements with retailers, offering them incentives to avoid stocking rival products. This strategy was previously sanctioned in 2015 when the subsidiary received a 31.5 million euro fine from Greek regulators. The court concluded that these actions not only damaged competitors like MTB but also negatively impacted consumers by restricting choices and maintaining higher market prices for beer in Greece.
Based on reporting by ad. Translated and condensed by LocalHeadlines.
