Clifford Chance
Consumer Goods and Retail Industry Competition Bulletin - September 2011
29 September 2011
In this issue the following articles:
Hot Topics
- China: Unilever fined for offence relating to price rise announcement.
Supermarkets/Groceries Retailing
- EU: Commission clears REWE / ADEG again.
- Germany: FCO maintains strict line on food retail mergers.
- UK: Draft bill on Groceries Code Adjudicator published.
Beverages, Breweries and Tobacco
- Belgium: College ordered to re-examine discriminatory pricing complaint.
- EU: General Court reduces fines of Heineken and Bavaria, and annuls Grolsch fine.
- EU: Commission clears proposed orange juice merger.
Dairy and Food Products
- Germany: FCO issues guidelines on raw milk information system.
- Italy: Cases cleared by European Commission inspire protectionist moves.
- UK: OFT fines retailers and processors after 7-year dairy products investigation.
- UK: Frozen ready meals merger referred to CC.
Non-Food Goods/Retailing
- EU: Commission publishes draft best practices for cooperation among NCAs in the EU.
- EU: Commission investigates luxury watchmakers.
- Germany: FCO recognises certain rules on competition in relation to book retail.
- UK: OFT requires upfront buyers in two FMCG cases.
- UK: Consumer interest magazines deal cleared by OFT.
- UK: OFT uses failing firm defence to approve acquisition by Kingfisher of 30 former Focus stores.
Other News - In Brief
- France: FCA finalises antitrust fining notice.
- UK: Competition law compliance - OFT guidance.
- US: US DoJ Issues Revised Guide to Remedies in Merger Cases.
- US: Changes to US premerger notification requirements come into effect.
