The Competition Commission has imposed, for the first time, a penalty for failure to adhere to its procedural rules. The commission requested that Veropoulos doo, a grocery retailer chain, submit information relevant for the assessment of the notified acquisition of Delta Maxi by Delhaize. Veropoulos missed the deadline set by the commission for the submission of the requested data by 53 days. As a consequence, the commission imposed a fine on Veropoulos of €26,500.
As further background to the proceedings, on April 13 2011 the commission opened a Phase II investigation regarding the takeover of Delta Maxi and its subsidiaries – the largest fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) retail chain in Serbia – by the Belgium-based Delhaize Group. Delhaize has worldwide FMCG retail activities but is not yet present in Serbia. During Phase II the commission approached all market participants, requesting different market information. All companies save for Veropoulos replied to the commission within the set deadline. As a result, Veropoulos was fined.
For further information on this topic please contact Srdjana Petronijevic at Moravcevic Vojnovic Zdravkovic in cooperation with Schoenherr by telephone (+381 11 320 26 00), fax (+381 11 320 26 10) or email ([email protected]).
