Chocolate too expensive

EU fines Milka manufacturer millions

The US chocolate manufacturer Mondelez has now been fined a record amount by the EU Commission for years of distorting competition and artificially increasing the price of its products.

As the competition authorities in Brussels announced, the fine amounts to 337.5 million euros. It was actually supposed to be even higher. Because Mondelez had cooperated with the EU Commission and expressly acknowledged its responsibility, the company had 15 percent of the fine waived, it was reported on Thursday. Nevertheless, this is the highest fine imposed by the EU on a food manufacturer. Mondelez manufactures a number of well-known products, including Milka chocolate, Toblerone, Daim, Oreo, Mikado, Philadelphia and Tuc.

The EU Commission imposed the highest fine ever imposed on a food manufacturer.(Bild: stock.adobe.com)

The EU Commission's investigation proved that Mondelez wanted to prevent cross-border trade between countries with different prices. "These illegal practices allowed Mondelez to continue to charge higher prices for its own products, which was ultimately to the detriment of consumers in the EU," the EU Commission said.

22 anti-competitive acts listed
The EU Commission opened official proceedings in January 2021. The authority has now announced that Mondelez was involved in 22 anti-competitive agreements or concerted practices. One agreement ordered Mondelez customers to charge higher prices for exports than for domestic sales. "These agreements and concerted practices took place between 2012 and 2019 and concerned all EU markets," the Commission said.