Heineken ordered to pay €111 million to Greek brewer

Heineken Macedonian Thrace Brewery Athenian Brewery antitrust ruling Greek beer market

The Amsterdam District Court has ordered Heineken N.V. and its Greek subsidiary, Athenian Brewery (AB), to pay a total of €111.2 million to the Macedonian Thrace Brewery (MTB). The award consists of €43.3 million in damages and €67.9 million in accumulated interest.

The ruling stems from a long-standing dispute regarding anti-competitive practices in the Greek beer market between 1998 and 2014. The court found that Athenian Brewery abused its dominant market position—which held approximately 70% market share—through exclusivity deals, loyalty rebates in bars and restaurants, and shelf-space conditions in supermarkets to foreclose competitors.

Heineken has announced its intention to appeal the decision, arguing that the compensation amount is based on speculative hypotheses regarding MTB’s sales, pricing, and profitability rather than actual market conditions. The company maintains that the calculation does not accurately reflect economic evidence from the relevant period.

Entities

Amsterdam District Court · Athenian Brewery · Heineken · Heineken N.V. · Hellenic Competition Commission · Macedonian Thrace Brewery

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

[● 14 SOURCES] The anti-competitive practices occurred in the Greek beer market between 1998 and 2014. www.ilialive.gr · polskiobserwator.de · cotidianul24ore.ro · cashcow.nl · lawandmore.eu · +9 more
[● 2 SOURCES] Heineken holds a 98.8% stake in Athenian Brewery. lawandmore.eu · www.capital.gr
[● 5 SOURCES] The Greek Competition Commission fined Athenian Brewery €31.5 million in 2015 for abuse of dominance. cotidianul24ore.ro · lawandmore.eu · businessam.be · www.capital.gr · www.ethnos.gr
[● 11 SOURCES] Heineken intends to appeal the Amsterdam court's decision. www.ilialive.gr · polskiobserwator.de · cotidianul24ore.ro · cashcow.nl · lawandmore.eu · +6 more
[● 9 SOURCES] The court's calculation of damages was based on hypothetical scenarios for sales, pricing, and profitability. www.ilialive.gr · polskiobserwator.de · cotidianul24ore.ro · www.larissanet.gr · businessam.be · +4 more
[○ 1 SOURCE] Athenian Brewery held approximately 70% of the Greek beer market share during the period. lawandmore.eu
[● 7 SOURCES] The damages award includes €43.3 million in compensation and €67.9 million in interest. www.ilialive.gr · polskiobserwator.de · cotidianul24ore.ro · lawandmore.eu · www.capital.gr · +2 more
[● 14 SOURCES] The Amsterdam District Court ordered Heineken and Athenian Brewery to pay €111.2 million to Macedonian Thrace Brewery. www.ilialive.gr · polskiobserwator.de · cotidianul24ore.ro · cashcow.nl · lawandmore.eu · +9 more