European Commission Fines Delivery Hero and Glovo EUR 329 Million for Online Food Delivery Cartel
The European Commission has fined food delivery companies Delivery Hero and Glovo a total of EUR 329 million for participating in a cartel that spanned from 2018 to 2022.
The infringement involved three core elements: (i) a no-poaching agreement to avoid hiring each other's employees, (ii) the exchange of commercially sensitive information, and (iii) market allocation through geographic segmentation. These practices were facilitated by Delivery Hero's minority shareholding in Glovo during the period in question.
This marks the Commission's first cartel decision in the labour market and the first case sanctioning anti-competitive conduct enabled through a minority stake in a competitor.
Delivery Hero was fined EUR 223.3 million, while Glovo was fined EUR 105.7 million. Both companies admitted to the conduct and benefited from a 10% reduction in their fines under the Commission's settlement procedure.
French Authority Fines Tech Firms €29.5M for No Poach Agreements
The French Competition Authority fined Alten, Expleo, and Bertrandt a total of EUR 29.5 million for secret no-poach agreements that prevented employees from moving between these companies in the engineering, technology consulting, and IT sectors. Ausy was granted full immunity under the leniency program. This ruling marks a significant step towards safeguarding fair competition in labour markets in France and promoting employee mobility. The authority warned that similar practices could weaken competition across various sectors.
Belgian Competition Authority Fines Electricity Exchanges Over Market Sharing
On 23.06.2025, the Belgian Competition Authority fined Nord Pool EUR 79,810 for engaging in a market-sharing agreement with EPEX SPOT between 2009 and 2015. Both are key players in the European electricity trading sector, facilitating cross-border power 3 transactions. The agreement involved not entering each other's geographic markets and granting exclusive rights to APX and Belpex to use Nord Pool's intraday trading system "Elbas" in Belgium and the Netherlands. The relatively low fine reflects legal limitations at the time, which capped penalties at 10% of domestic turnover, and Nord Pool's limited presence in Belgium due to the very market-sharing in question. EPEX SPOT received full immunity after reporting the conduct.
German Watchdog Warns Amazon Over Price Restrictions
Germany's competition authority ("BKartA") has issued a preliminary assessment suggesting that Amazon's pricing mechanisms on its marketplace may harm competition. According to the authority, Amazon limits sellers' freedom to set their own prices by imposing discretionary price caps. Sellers exceeding these thresholds may be excluded from the Buy Box or have their listings suppressed in search results— potentially reducing visibility and increasing market concentration. The BKartA found that such practices could violate special abuse control rules for major digital platforms under German competition law.
Apple Introduces New App Store Policies to Comply with the DMA
Following a EUR 500 million fine by the European Commission under the Digital Markets Act (DMA), Apple has updated its App Store rules. Developers in the EU can now promote and redirect users to purchase digital goods via their own websites or alternative marketplaces, inside or outside the app.
Revised terms introduce fees including an initial acquisition fee, store services fee, and a new Core Technology Commission (CTC), effective from January 1, 2026, replacing the existing Core Technology Fee.
With iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6, EU users will gain easier access to apps from alternative marketplaces. Later this year, Apple will release an API enabling developers to trigger app downloads from within their own apps when distributed externally.
Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel Deal Finalized Following Extensive Antitrust Review; National Security Agreement Signed
After a prolonged antitrust review process, Nippon Steel's acquisition of U.S.-based U.S. Steel has been officially completed. The companies entered into a National Security Agreement (NSA) with the U.S. government to safeguard U.S. Steel's operational and management structure within the United States.
Under the agreement, U.S. Steel will retain its headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with its board and key management personnel comprised predominantly of U.S. citizens. The company also commits to maintaining its 4 production capacity within the U.S. Nippon Steel has pledged to invest approximately USD 11 billion in U.S. operations by 2028.
The U.S. government acquired a "golden share," granting it veto rights over critical decisions, including headquarters relocation, name changes, offshoring production, and plant closures.
Following the merger, Nippon Steel's global annual crude steel production capacity will reach 86 million tons.
Anadolu Efes Misses Russian Approval, Next Moves Under Review
Turkish brewer Anadolu Efes Biracılık ve Malt Sanayi announced that its subsidiary Efes Breweries International B.V. was denied regulatory approval in Russia for acquiring minority shares in AB InBev Efes B.V.
In October 2024, Anadolu Efes and AB InBev had agreed new terms for this acquisition, but the deal was blocked by Russian regulators. Anadolu Efes is now assessing next steps with AB InBev. The target was valued at around USD 1.1-1.3 billion.
Italian Competition Authority Fines ENI and Novamont €32M for Abuse of Dominance
Italy's competition authority (AGCM) fined ENI and its subsidiary Novamont EUR 32.1 million for abusing dominance in the bioplastics raw materials market between 2018 and 2023. Novamont, holding over 50% of the shopping bag market and 70% of the ultra-lightweight bag market, imposed exclusivity clauses that forced manufacturers to buy only Mater-Bi bio-compounds, blocking competitors. Large retailers were also required to buy exclusively from Novamont-affiliated converters. It was concluded that Novamont's exclusionary practice hindered the development of fair competition for the production and sale of bio compounds for shopping and ultra-lightweight bags. It effectively prevented competitors from finding viable outlets for their products and from operating successfully in those markets.
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