Heineken has been ordered to pay €111.2 million in damages to Greek beer producer Macedonian Thrace Brewery (MTB) after a Dutch court found the brewing giant responsible for years of alleged market abuse by its Greek subsidiary.
The Amsterdam District Court ruled that Heineken was liable as the parent company of Athenian Brewery (AB), Greece’s largest brewer, following a long-running dispute over competition in the Greek beer market.
The court found that MTB, the producer of Vergina beer, had lost €43.3 million in potential profits over a 16-year period. An additional €67.9 million in interest brought the total compensation to €111.2 million.
The case centres on allegations that Athenian Brewery abused its dominant market position, with the disputed conduct dating back to 1998.
Exclusive agreements under scrutiny
The dispute escalated in late 2015, when Greece’s competition authority fined Athenian Brewery €31.5 million over practices it found had restricted competition for an extended period.
The company was accused of entering into exclusive arrangements with retailers, offering discounts in exchange for agreements not to stock competing beers.
The practices were found to have disadvantaged rival producers and restricted competition in the Greek beer market. The allegations also raised concerns that reduced consumer choice had contributed to higher prices.
MTB argued that the conduct damaged its ability to compete and cost it years of potential revenue and profits.
Heineken plans to appeal
Heineken has confirmed it will appeal the Amsterdam court’s ruling, arguing that key aspects of the judgment and the calculation of damages are disputed.
The company maintains that compensation claims of this scale should be grounded in evidence and accurately reflect actual market conditions.
A spokesperson said the damages calculation relied partly on hypothetical assumptions about MTB’s revenue, pricing and profitability.
“In our view, such assumptions must be carefully tested against the available economic evidence and market developments during the relevant period,” the spokesperson said.
The appeal will continue a legal battle that has stretched across more than a decade, with significant financial implications for Heineken and its Greek subsidiary.
The ruling represents a major development in one of Greece’s most prominent competition disputes, placing renewed focus on the consequences of market dominance and the ability of smaller producers to compete against established industry leaders.
Source: ANP
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