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The companies attacked this Monday by the Competition Authority are preparing to judicially challenge the sentences that were attacked.
In a statement, Sonae MC, owner of Modelo Continente, described AdC’s decision as “manifestly erroneous and unfounded.” The company, which was sentenced to a fine of 121.9 million euros, the highest in this case, says that it rejects “the accusation of involvement of its subsidiary in any agreement or price agreement, to the detriment of consumers, as well like the request of any fine, whose value is, in fact, inexplicable for all the titles “.
The company that Cláudia Azevedo runs will appeal the decision to the Courts and, it guarantees, “will use all the means at its disposal to fully clarify the facts that are charged to it, the defense of its reputation and the affirmation of its values”. The owner of Continente points out that “the rates lack any connection with the reality of the Portuguese market, being contradicted by the evidence of the facts, the highly competitive nature of the large distribution sector in Portugal and the value transferred to the final consumer throughout over the years, as has been recognized by all stakeholders and the AdC itself “. A similar attitude will be adopted by Jerónimo Martins, owner of Pingo Doce, who was fined 91 million euros by the AdC. In a note sent to CMVM, the retailer, which last week was sentenced to pay a fine of 163 million euros by the Polish Competition Authority, says: “I absolutely disagree with such decisions, which I consider to be totally unfounded and deeply undeserved in the light of the constant work that is developed to bring Portuguese consumers the best prices and the best promotions on a daily basis ”.
Pingo Doce “will legally challenge those decisions and will use all the means at its disposal to defend its reputation and restore the truth of the facts,” the company said in the same note.
In addition to retailers, the beverage providers convicted by the AdC have also responded to the regulator’s decision. Primedrinks, sentenced to the payment of seven million euros, says that it does not review the decision of AdC and, “in exercise of the right of defense, it will appeal against it to, convinced of its reason, recover its good name and the veracity of the facts” . “.
The Sociedade Central de Cervejas, which has been fined 29.5 million euros, prefers not to comment on the steps to follow for now. “SCC actively collaborated with AdC during its investigation” and “reaffirms its full compliance with the competition law in force in Portugal,” the company said in a statement.
SCC says it is “disappointed with this decision as, apparently, AdC did not accept the arguments presented by the Company at the time.” The liquor supplier “will study the overall decision in detail to determine what our next steps are. However, until a decision is made on the next steps, SCC will refrain from comment.”
AdC on Monday condemned the Modelo Continente, Pingo Doce, Auchan, Intermaché, Lidl and E.Leclerc supermarkets, as well as the beverage providers Primedrinks and SCC and two executives, to fines totaling 304 million euros. What is at stake is the alignment of retail prices, to the detriment of consumers.
(Updated news)
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