Heineken to pay €111 million to Vergina brewery producer

The Amsterdam District Court has ordered Heineken N.V. and its Greek subsidiary, Athenian Brewery, to pay €111.22 million to Macedonia Thrace Brewery (ZMT), the producer of Vergina beer. The ruling, which is provisionally enforceable, follows a long-standing legal battle regarding anti-competitive practices.

The total amount consists of €43.3 million in principal damages and approximately €68 million in accumulated interest. The legal dispute stems from a 2015 decision by the Hellenic Competition Commission, which found Athenian Brewery had abused its dominant market position between 1998 and 2014. ZMT filed for compensation in the Netherlands in 2017, after the European Court of Justice and the Dutch Supreme Court affirmed jurisdiction by treating Heineken and Athenian Brewery as a single economic entity.

ZMT executives described the ruling as a historic decision for Europe, noting it is the second-highest compensation awarded in the EU after a Google case. While Heineken intends to appeal, the provisional enforcement required the immediate transfer of funds to ZMT. Legal experts suggest this decision may impact how multinational corporations approach competition strategies involving smaller rivals.