Compliance Radar
Who was sanctioned, and for what?
Fines, court rulings and incidents from Europe and North America: 718 cases from 32 jurisdictions, each with an official source and checked against that source before publication. Filter by country, area of law and sector. Click a chart to drill down one level.
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Where?
by countryWhat for?
by topicWho?
by sectorAll sectors
- Automotive €546.6m 20 % · 6 cases
- Chemicals and pharmaceuticals €487.2m 18 % · 4 cases
- Media and online platforms €432.9m 16 % · 6 cases
- Retail and e-commerce €424.8m 16 % · 14 cases
- Transport, logistics and shipping €255.8m 9 % · 1 case
- Energy and utilities €189.9m 7 % · 8 cases
- Manufacturing and mechanical engineering €97.9m 4 % · 2 cases
- Construction and real estate €85.5m 3 % · 10 cases
- Steel and metals €70m 3 % · 1 case
- Food and agriculture €57.9m 2 % · 8 cases
- 6 more€81m
When?
per quarter, by date of decision| Period | Cases | Total |
|---|---|---|
| Q3 2023 | 0 | — |
| Q4 2023 | 4 | €18.3m |
| Q1 2024 | 2 | €5.02m |
| Q2 2024 | 1 | €34,490 |
| Q3 2024 | 3 | €434.9m |
| Q4 2024 | 8 | €468.2m |
| Q1 2025 | 3 | €73.5m |
| Q2 2025 | 10 | €815.4m |
| Q3 2025 | 5 | €6.96m |
| Q4 2025 | 15 | €615.8m |
| Q1 2026 | 9 | €123.5m |
| Q2 2026 | 9 | €61.7m |
| Q3 2026 | 13 | €106.1m |
82 cases
31 Oct 2024 Teva Pharmaceutical Industries (Teva-Gruppe)EU: 462.6 million EUR against Teva for patent misuse and disparaging a competing medicine €462.6m
Teva abused its dominant position for the MS medicine Copaxone: it artificially extended patent protection by filing staggered divisional applications with the EPO and strategically withdrawing them, and spread misleading statements about an authorised competing product among physicians and decision-makers. Seven Member States were affected over periods of four to nine years.
Communications by sales representatives and medical affairs about competing products must be substantiated and objective; patent strategies of dominant companies require competition law review.
Disparaging statements about competing products to healthcare professionals
- Authority / court
- Europäische Kommission
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- Art. 102 AEUV
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Chemicals and pharmaceuticals
- Employees
- 10,000 or more
- Commission fines Teva €462.6 million over misuse of the patent system and disparagement (IP/24/5581) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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24 Sep 2026 Plaček Pet Products s.r.o.Plaček Pet Products: 36.4 million CZK for minimum prices on pet food €1.49m
From January 2013 to March 2022, the distributor of premium pet food and pet supplies imposed minimum resale prices on its retailers and threatened sanctions if they were undercut. In a settlement procedure, the Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže (Czech Office for the Protection of Competition, ÚOHS) imposed 36.438 million CZK; the company ended the conduct after the inspection and introduced a compliance programme.
Never enforce recommended retail prices with supply stops or sanctions – sales teams need clear rules on this.
Price requirements imposed on retailers in sales
Missing or inadequate training played a role in the decision.
- Authority / court
- Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže (ÚOHS)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Verbot vertikaler Preisbindung (tschechisches Wettbewerbsgesetz, Art. 101 AEUV)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Retail and e-commerce
- Culpability
- intentional
- Mitigating circumstances
- Termination immediately after the inspection, information of customers about free pricing, full cooperation, settlement and newly introduced compliance programme.
- Published
- 24 Sep 2026
Original amount 36,438,000 CZK, converted at the ECB reference rate of 24 Sep 2026.
- Distributor krmiv pro domácí zvířata dostal pokutu 36 milionů korun za diktování cen maloobchodníkům Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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17 Sep 2026 Lesy České republiky, s.p. (Lesy ČR)Lesy ČR: 17.3 million CZK for export ban on wood chips €710,383
From July 2021 to July 2024, the state forestry company contractually prohibited a customer from actively and passively exporting wood chips and logging residues and secured the ban with a right of termination. The Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže (Czech Office for the Protection of Competition, ÚOHS) considered this a restriction of competition by object under Czech and EU law and imposed 17.268 million CZK (first instance, not final).
State-owned companies are also subject to competition law – have export and resale bans in framework agreements legally reviewed before signing.
Anticompetitive clauses in supply contracts
- Authority / court
- Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže (ÚOHS)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Tschechisches Wettbewerbsgesetz, Art. 101 AEUV (Exportverbot, S0733/2025)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Food and agriculture
- Mitigating circumstances
- Voluntary termination immediately after proceedings were opened.
- Published
- 17 Sep 2026
Original amount 17,268,000 CZK, converted at the ECB reference rate of 17 Sep 2026.
- Lesy ČR banned wood-chip exports and were imposed a fine of more than CZK 17 million Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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26 Aug 2026 O2 Czech Republic a.s.; SHERLOG Technology, a.s.O2 Czech Republic and SHERLOG: 280 million CZK for customer allocation in vehicle tracking €11.7m
From December 2012 to June 2022, the two companies allocated customers for vehicle tracking and electronic logbook services between themselves and coordinated bids, including in public tenders. At first instance, the Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže (Czech Office for the Protection of Competition, ÚOHS) fined O2 262.32 million CZK and SHERLOG 18.357 million CZK and imposed a six-month ban on public contracts; for O2, the fine was increased instead of a procurement ban.
Do not let sales cooperation with competitors turn into customer allocation – e-mail arrangements about individual tenders are the typical evidence.
Coordination with cooperation partners on customers and tenders
- Authority / court
- Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže (ÚOHS)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Tschechisches Wettbewerbsgesetz, Art. 101 AEUV (S0255/2023)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Telecoms, IT and software
- Culpability
- intentional
- Published
- 26 Aug 2026
Original amount 280,677,000 CZK, converted at the ECB reference rate of 26 Aug 2026.
- Fines exceeding CZK 280 million imposed on O2 Czech Republic and SHERLOG Technology for cartel agreement Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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26 Aug 2026 Wolt DenmarkWolt: Competition Council finds abuse of dominant position vis-à-vis restaurants Order
In 2022–2024, the delivery service used a standard clause to prohibit restaurants from being cheaper on their own channels than on Wolt, while at the same time being able to grant discounts without consultation and to compensate customers up to 400 DKK at the restaurants’ expense. The Konkurrencerådet (Danish Competition Council) ordered the practice to cease, required Wolt to inform all restaurants and intends to enforce a fine through the courts.
Platforms with a high market share should have parity clauses and unilateral cost shifting in standard terms reviewed under competition law.
- Authority / court
- Konkurrencerådet (Danish Competition Council)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- Konkurrenceloven; AEUV Art. 102
- Action
- Order
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Media and online platforms
- Published
- 26 Aug 2026
- KFST – Wolt has abused its dominant position (26.08.2026) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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25 Aug 2026 Elizabeta Promet d.o.o., SolinCroatia: 10,000 EUR against Elizabeta Promet for deliveries without a written contract €10,000
As a buyer with significant bargaining power, the company from Solin purchased agricultural and food products from two suppliers without written contracts. The Agencija za zaštitu tržišnog natjecanja (Croatian Competition Agency, AZTN) considered this an unfair trading practice and, taking mitigating circumstances into account, imposed 10,000 EUR (date = publication).
In food purchasing, the mere absence of written supply contracts is an infringement – a simple contract standard prevents this.
Written form for supply contracts in food purchasing
- Authority / court
- Agencija za zaštitu tržišnog natjecanja (AZTN)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- Zakon o zabrani nepoštenih trgovačkih praksi u lancu opskrbe hranom (ZNTP)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Food and agriculture
- Mitigating circumstances
- Several mitigating circumstances taken into account
- Published
- 25 Aug 2026
- Provedba ZNTP-a: AZTN kaznio ELIZABETU PROMET d.o.o., Solin s 10.000,00 eura zbog nametanja nepoštenih trgovačkih praksi Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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17 Aug 2026 Pluxee Česká republika a.s.; Edenred CZ s.r.o.; Up Česká republika s.r.o.Meal voucher cartel: 279 million CZK against Pluxee, Edenred and Up upheld with final effect €11.5m
From 2004 to 2018, the three issuers of paper meal vouchers coordinated with retail chains how many vouchers would be accepted per purchase. The President of the Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže (Czech Office for the Protection of Competition, ÚOHS) dismissed the appeals against the recalculation of the fines: Pluxee 132.271 million, Edenred 101.94 million and Up 44.941 million CZK, a total of 279.152 million CZK.
Coordinating seemingly technical conditions such as acceptance limits is also a cartel – industry discussions need clear boundaries.
Coordination of terms and conditions among competitors
- Authority / court
- Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže (ÚOHS)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Tschechisches Wettbewerbsgesetz, Art. 101 AEUV (R0112/2025)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Financial services and insurance
- Culpability
- intentional
- Published
- 17 Aug 2026
Original amount 279,152,000 CZK, converted at the ECB reference rate of 17 Aug 2026.
- Chairman of the Czech Competition Authority Definitively Confirms Fines for Meal Voucher Issuers’ Cartel Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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13 Aug 2026 „О-Рент“ ЕООД (sowie „Инжконсулт“ ЕООД und „Земекоп“ ЕООД)Construction machinery cartel: fine for O-Rent, compliance programme for all participants €2,403
The Комисия за защита на конкуренцията (Bulgarian Commission for the Protection of Competition, KZK) found a cartel in public tenders for mining and construction machinery (price fixing and market sharing, Art. 15 ZZK – Bulgarian Protection of Competition Act, Art. 101 TFEU). Inzhkonsult and Zemekop, as a single undertaking, were exempted from the fine; O-Rent received a sanction of 2,403.07 EUR. All three companies must introduce a competition law compliance programme within 60 days and report on it.
The authority now expressly requires compliance programmes – anyone bidding in tenders should have one before it is ordered.
Competition law in tenders; compliance programme
- Authority / court
- Комисия за защита на конкуренцията (КЗК, Bulgarische Wettbewerbskommission)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. 15 Abs. 1 Nr. 1 und 2 ZZK; Art. 101 Abs. 1 lit. a und c AEUV
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Construction and real estate
- Mitigating circumstances
- Immunity from fines for two participants (leniency programme)
- Published
- 20 Aug 2026
- КЗК Публичен електронен регистър – Производство (Решение № 797 от 13.08.2026; Volltext als PDF im Register) Official register or notice
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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7 Aug 2026 Hair-Line Kft.Hair-Line: 68.5 million HUF for price and territorial restrictions on hairdressing supplies €187,929
In 2018–2022, the distributor of professional hairdressing products (Alfaparf, Yellow) determined the prices at which its territorial representatives were allowed to sell to salons and retailers and restricted passive sales outside the territories. Under a settlement and with a commitment to a compliance programme, the Gazdasági Versenyhivatal (Hungarian Competition Authority, GVH) imposed 68.5 million HUF.
Commercial agent systems with territorial protection must not restrict resale prices or passive sales either.
Price and territorial restrictions in the distribution system
Missing or inadequate training played a role in the decision.
- Authority / court
- Gazdasági Versenyhivatal (GVH)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Ungarisches Wettbewerbsgesetz, Verbot wettbewerbsbeschränkender Vereinbarungen (VJ/17/2022)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Retail and e-commerce
- Culpability
- intentional
- Mitigating circumstances
- Cooperation, acknowledgement in the settlement and commitment to a comprehensive compliance programme.
- Published
- 7 Aug 2026
Original amount 68,500,000 HUF, converted at the ECB reference rate of 7 Aug 2026.
- Korlátozta a versenyt az egyik ismert hazai fodrászcikk forgalmazó, komoly GVH-bírság lett a vége Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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6 Aug 2026 AS Asphaltstraßensanierung GmbH, BITUNOVA GmbH, Kutter Spezialstraßenbau GmbH & Co. KG, Possehl Construction GmbH (inkl. VSI), Liesen…alles für den Bau GmbH, OAT GmbH/Otto Alte-Teigeler GmbHBundeskartellamt: 60.3 million EUR against DSK road repair cartel €60.3m
From around 2010 to September 2019, six suppliers of thin cold-laid asphalt surface layers (Dünne Asphaltdeckschichten in Kaltbauweise, DSK) allocated customers – primarily public contracting authorities – and contracts among themselves nationwide and coordinated prices. Germany's Federal Cartel Office (Bundeskartellamt) imposed fines of around 60.3 million EUR; all proceedings ended in settlements.
Anyone who "shares out" public contracts regionally risks fines running into millions – calculations and bids must always be prepared independently.
Customer allocation and bid rigging in public contracts
- Authority / court
- Bundeskartellamt
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- § 1 GWB, Art. 101 AEUV
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Construction and real estate
- Mitigating circumstances
- Leniency bonus for Possehl/VSI, Bitunova, Kutter and AS; settlement
- Published
- 6 Aug 2026
- Bußgelder wegen Kartellabsprachen im Bereich Straßenreparatur mit DSK Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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6 Aug 2026 „Чили Хилс Фудс“ ООД (Chili Hills Foods OOD)Chili Hills Foods: 20,022 EUR for false copying allegations against competitor €20,022
From May 2024, in social media videos (campaign ‘Създавай! Не копирай!’), the company falsely accused a competing family business for hot chillies of having stolen its business, ideas and concept, and promoted the clips partly through paid advertising. The Комисия за защита на конкуренцията (Bulgarian Commission for the Protection of Competition, KZK) regarded this as unfair damage to reputation (Art. 30 ZZK – Bulgarian Protection of Competition Act), imposed 4% of 2025 net turnover (500,555 EUR), i.e. 20,022 EUR, and ordered immediate cessation. Appeals have been lodged against the decision.
Allegations against competitors on social media are only permissible if based on verifiable facts – paid reach aggravates the sanction.
Statements about competitors on social media
- Authority / court
- Комисия за защита на конкуренцията (КЗК, Bulgarische Wettbewerbskommission)
- Area of law
- Competition law
- Legal basis
- Art. 30 ZZK (Schädigung des guten Rufs eines Wettbewerbers)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- under appeal
- Sector
- Food and agriculture
- Published
- 19 Aug 2026
- КЗК Публичен електронен регистър – Производство (Решение № 743 от 06.08.2026; Volltext als PDF im Register) Official register or notice
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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4 Aug 2026 AS "Latvijas valsts meži"7.86 million EUR against Latvijas valsts meži for breach of competitive neutrality €7.86m
From 2020 to April 2026, on the basis of old long-term logging contracts, the state forestry group supplied six wood processors with guaranteed quantities of roundwood outside public auctions, while all others could only buy through auctions. In its first decision on the competitive neutrality of public undertakings, the Konkurences padome (Latvian Competition Council) imposed 7,859,606.89 EUR and required equal sales conditions for all qualified bidders.
State-owned companies must allocate resources without discrimination – review historical special contracts regularly for competitive neutrality.
- Authority / court
- Konkurences padome (Lettischer Wettbewerbsrat)
- Area of law
- Competition law
- Legal basis
- Art. 14.1 Konkurences likums (Wettbewerbsneutralität)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Public sector
- Published
- 13 Aug 2026
- Konkurences padome konstatē konkurences neitralitātes pārkāpumu AS „Latvijas valsts meži“ darbībā (13.08.2026) Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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21 Jul 2026 Maxxis International GmbH, Best4Tires Berlin GmbH, Reifen Müller GmbH & Co. KGBundeskartellamt: 11.9 million EUR over resale price maintenance in tyre distribution (Maxxis/CST) €11.9m
Maxxis guaranteed wholesalers fixed margins per tyre sold of the Maxxis and CST brands, monitored prices in particular on the Tyre24 platform and intervened when prices were too low. Germany's Federal Cartel Office (Bundeskartellamt) imposed fines totalling 11.9 million EUR on three companies and one responsible individual.
Margin guarantees and price controls vis-à-vis dealers constitute prohibited resale price maintenance – sales teams need clear rules for price discussions.
Influencing resale prices and price monitoring on platforms
- Authority / court
- Bundeskartellamt
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- § 1 GWB (vertikale Preisbindung)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Automotive
- Mitigating circumstances
- Settlement with Maxxis and Reifen Müller
- Liability of senior managers
- Fine imposed on one responsible natural person (not named)
- Published
- 21 Jul 2026
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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15 Jul 2026 CalPlus GmbH, Elektronik-Kontor Messtechnik GmbH, TVW Meßtechnik GmbHBundeskartellamt: 453,000 EUR against distributors of test and measuring equipment €453,000
From 2016 to 2022, three distributors of test and measuring equipment coordinated discounts as essential price components and informed each other of customer contacts, usually with a request for "restraint". This was evidenced by more than 400 emails; the proceedings ended in settlements.
Small distributors are liable too: merely asking a competitor to "hold back" with a customer is a prohibited customer allocation agreement.
Email contacts with competitors about customers and discounts
- Authority / court
- Bundeskartellamt
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- § 1 GWB
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- final
- Sector
- Manufacturing and mechanical engineering
- Mitigating circumstances
- Settlement; cooperation by Elektronik-Kontor Messtechnik taken into account
- Published
- 15 Jul 2026
- Bundeskartellamt verhängt Bußgelder wegen Preisabsprachen beim Vertrieb von Prüf- und Messgeräten Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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25 Jun 2026 Самостоятелна медико-диагностична лаборатория „Лина“ ЕООДLaboratory Lina lures customers with free blood tests – 52,097 EUR for unfair competition €52,097
On application by its competitor Ramus, the Комисия за защита на конкуренцията (Bulgarian Commission for the Protection of Competition, KZK) established that the laboratory had offered packages of medical laboratory tests free of charge nationwide over extended periods (only against a fee of 2 leva for taking blood) – conduct shown by no other market participant outside joint campaigns. It found an infringement of the general clause of unfair competition law (Art. 29 ZZK – Bulgarian Protection of Competition Act) and imposed 0.3% of 2024 turnover, i.e. 52,096.55 EUR. Appeals have been lodged against the decision.
Permanent free offers to win customers can be unfair if they deviate significantly from market practice and drive out competitors.
- Authority / court
- Комисия за защита на конкуренцията (КЗК, Bulgarische Wettbewerbskommission)
- Area of law
- Competition law
- Legal basis
- Art. 29 ZZK (Generalklausel unlauterer Wettbewerb)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- under appeal
- Sector
- Healthcare
- Published
- 2 Jul 2026
- КЗК Публичен електронен регистър – Производство (Решение № 591 от 25.06.2026; Volltext als PDF im Register) Official register or notice
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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24 Jun 2026 Kaufland Hrvatska k.d.Croatia: 300,000 EUR against Kaufland for unfair practices towards suppliers €300,000
The Agencija za zaštitu tržišnog natjecanja (Croatian Competition Agency, AZTN) found that Kaufland Hrvatska charged food suppliers fees for services not provided and for advertising not commissioned, and paid for perishable goods only after more than 30 days. For these unfair trading practices, and with repeat offending as an aggravating factor (final penalty already in 2020), it imposed 300,000 EUR (date = publication).
Purchasing departments must know the payment deadlines and fee prohibitions of UTP law – repeat offences become significantly more expensive.
Fair terms towards suppliers in purchasing
- Authority / court
- Agencija za zaštitu tržišnog natjecanja (AZTN)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Abuse of market power
- Legal basis
- Art. 4, 11, 12 Zakon o zabrani nepoštenih trgovačkih praksi u lancu opskrbe hranom (ZNTP)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Retail and e-commerce
- Repeat case
- yes
- Published
- 24 Jun 2026
- AZTN kaznio KAUFLAND HRVATSKA k.d., Zagreb s 300.000,00 eura zbog nametanja nepoštenih trgovačkih praksi Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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5 Jun 2026 Portugal: 8.18 million EUR against three companies over advertising in TV recordings €8.18m
With the support of a consultancy, the three largest pay-TV providers agreed from 2019 to May 2025 to introduce advertising as a condition for accessing recordings and to standardise the marketing of this advertising space. The Autoridade da Concorrência (Portuguese Competition Authority, AdC) imposed 8,181,000 EUR on three companies; together with the fourth participant, already sanctioned earlier under a settlement, the fines add up to 13,351,000 EUR. Owing to ongoing court proceedings, the AdC did not publish the names in its announcement.
Jointly coordinated ‘industry solutions’ at customers’ expense are cartels – even when a service provider takes on the coordination.
Coordinated product changes among competitors
- Authority / court
- Autoridade da Concorrência (AdC)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Lei da Concorrência (Lei n.º 19/2012), Art. 9.º (Processo PRC/2020/4)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Telecoms, IT and software
- Published
- 5 Jun 2026
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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3 Jun 2026 VF Hellas Ενδυμάτων Ε.Π.Ε. (VF Hellas, Tochter der VF Corporation)Greece: 954,485 EUR against VF Hellas for banning price comparison and Google Ads €954,485
The importer and wholesaler of the Vans, Eastpak and The North Face brands contractually prohibited its retailers from using price comparison portals and search engine advertising (in particular Google Ads). The Επιτροπή Ανταγωνισμού (Hellenic Competition Commission) regarded this as a hardcore restriction in online sales and, in a settlement procedure (Decision 913/2026), set a reduced fine of 954,485 EUR; date = press release.
Prohibiting retailers from using price comparison sites or search engine advertising is a hardcore restriction – distribution agreements should regularly undergo competition law review.
Competition-law-compliant design of dealer agreements in online sales
- Authority / court
- Επιτροπή Ανταγωνισμού (Hellenic Competition Commission)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Art. 1 Gesetz 3959/2011; Art. 101 AEUV; Art. 4 lit. e VO (EU) 2022/720
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- unknown
- Sector
- Retail and e-commerce
- Mitigating circumstances
- Settlement procedure (Diettheti Diaforon) with fine reduction
- Published
- 3 Jun 2026
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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6 May 2026 HP TRONIC Zlín, spol. s r.o.HP TRONIC Zlín: 39 million CZK for price requirements imposed on electronics retailers €1.6m
For more than ten years from 2012, the distributor and retailer of consumer electronics and household appliances set minimum resale prices for its retail customers, monitored them and sanctioned deviations. The Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže (Czech Office for the Protection of Competition, ÚOHS) imposed 38.971 million CZK; a leniency application, settlement and an improved compliance programme reduced the fine, and the company appealed against the amount.
Reprimanding retailers over low prices risks high fines – an effective compliance programme can reduce them but is no substitute for ending the practice.
Resale price maintenance in sales
Missing or inadequate training played a role in the decision.
- Authority / court
- Úřad pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže (ÚOHS)
- Area of law
- Competition law · Cartels and collusion
- Legal basis
- Tschechisches Wettbewerbsgesetz, Art. 101 AEUV (S0551/2023)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- under appeal
- Sector
- Retail and e-commerce
- Culpability
- intentional
- Mitigating circumstances
- Leniency application, settlement and expansion of the internal compliance programme.
- Published
- 6 May 2026
Original amount 38,971,000 CZK, converted at the ECB reference rate of 6 May 2026.
- HP Tronic Faces Nearly CZK 40 Million Fine for Dictating Prices to Retailers Press release of an authority
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link
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30 Apr 2026 „Вазовски машиностроителни заводи“ ЕАД (VMZ)Arms manufacturer VMZ used a partner’s know-how for disposable grenade launchers – 50,855 EUR €50,855
On application by the client Armar, the Комисия за защита на конкуренцията (Bulgarian Commission for the Protection of Competition, KZK) found that VMZ had used technical documentation on disposable grenade launchers that had been provided in confidence (trade secret) contrary to the confidentiality agreements and good commercial practice (Art. 37(1) ZZK – Bulgarian Protection of Competition Act). Sanction of 50,855.09 EUR and obligation to cease, with immediate enforceability. Appeals have been lodged against the decision.
Design documents provided in confidence may only be used within the agreed scope – especially in sensitive industries.
Handling confidential know-how of business partners
- Authority / court
- Комисия за защита на конкуренцията (КЗК, Bulgarische Wettbewerbskommission)
- Area of law
- Competition law
- Legal basis
- Art. 37 Abs. 1 ZZK (Geschäftsgeheimnisse)
- Action
- Fine
- Status of proceedings
- under appeal
- Sector
- Defence and security
- КЗК Публичен електронен регистър – Производство (Решение № 389 от 30.04.2026; Volltext als PDF im Register) Official register or notice
Checked against the official source on 25 Sep 2026 · Direct link