The European Competition Commission has levied a fine of €200 million on Anheuser-Busch InBev in its Belgian home market for abusing its dominant market position to keep price of its popular Jupiler beer brand high.
Margrethe Vestager, EU competition commissioner, said: “Consumers in Belgium have been paying more for their favourite beer because of AB InBev’s deliberate strategy to restrict cross-border sales between the Netherlands and Belgium.
Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) on Friday announced it had completed the sale of businesses and brands formerly owned by SABMiller in Central and Eastern Europe to Asahi Group Holdings of Japan.
The divestitures which were part of the brewer’s acquisition of SABMiller were done in accordance with agreements reached with European anti-trust regulators on 18 May 2016.
European Union antitrust regulators have opened an investigation into the trade practices of Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) in Belgium, its home market.
The commission said it would probe if the company has “abused its dominant position in Belgium.” At issue is whether the brewer has used its market position to block cheaper imports of its beer from neighbouring countries entering the Belgian market, a breach of the commission’s rules.
European Union Anti-Trust regulators, on Tuesday, said they have given their approval for the $108bn merger of two of the world’s biggest brewers, Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) and SABMiller.
However, the commission said the approval was contingent upon AB InBev divesting itself of SABMiller’s European assets.
Brewing giant, Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) has offered to sell SABMiller’s Central and Eastern European brands, including Pilsner Urquell as part of efforts to gain regulatory approval for its planned acquisition of SABMiller.
