Dutch Court Orders Heineken to Pay €111 Million

An Amsterdam court ordered Heineken and its Greek subsidiary, Athenian Brewery, to pay Macedonian Thrace Brewery (MTB), maker of Vergina beer, about €111 million in damages and interest. The award covers losses the court attributed to market abuse from 1998 to 2014, including practices that disadvantaged rival brewers; it follows a 2015 Greek competition-authority finding and fine against Athenian Brewery for abusing its dominant position. Heineken disputes the ruling and says it will appeal, arguing that the damages calculation relies on hypothetical assumptions about MTB’s sales, prices and profitability. MTB welcomed the decision as a significant recognition of the harm it says it suffered.