Spain: Dairy sector probe relaunched

Spanish competition regulator the National Commission of Markets and Competition (CNMC) has decided to reopen an investigation, first opened in 2015, which would have brought fines against 11 companies in the dairy industry (including giants such as Nestlé, Danone and Pascual) for a combined total of 88.6 million euros, before the process was struck down by the National Assembly over to technical flaws in the investigation.

The resolution presented by the AN left open the possibility for the CNMC to resume the process and rectify the missteps that ultimately annulled the sanction. The CNMC has now done so, announcing the revival of the process as of December 21.

Following this reactivation it is expected that the CNMC will pursue the process through the usual channels, issuing new resolution proposals, which are expected to be very similar to the original sanctions for 88.6 million euros in total, with Danone, Peñasanta Food Corporation and Grupo Lactalis being slapped with the largest fines.

Full Content: El País

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