A court in the Netherlands has found the Heineken group must pay compensation to Greek brewer Macedonia-Thrace due to the anti-competitive practices implemented by its Greek subsidiary.
It ruled that the Dutch beer giant is “jointly and severally liable,” for the abuse of a dominant position by Athenian Brewery, an offense for which the latter has already been punished in Greece with a heavy fine by the Competition Commission.
In 2015, the Commission imposed on Athens Brewery the largest fine in its history, amounting to 31.4 million euros, for abusive practices of a dominant position in the market.
On December 4, the Amsterdam court will announce the amount of compensation Heineken will have to pay to the Brewery of Macedonia-Thrace which produces the Vergina beer.
Heineken’s defeat “a victory against monopolies”
The Greek brewery, which boasts the first 100 percent Greek beer with a Greek label, demands a compensation of 160 million euros.
In a statement, the Brewery of Macedonia-Thrace says: “With its decision, the Dutch Court vindicated the Brewery of Macedonia Thrace by confirming the joint and several liability of Heineken for the anti-competitive practices of its subsidiary, Athens Brewery.
“The lawsuit filed in 2017 successfully overcame all procedural hurdles raised by Heineken, paving the way for the calculation of the amount of compensation that Heineken and Athens Brewery should jointly pay.”
This decision -adds the Greek brewery – is a landmark decision both for the brewing industry and more broadly, as it sets a global precedent for claiming damages directly from a parent company for subsidiary activity.
“At the same time, it is an emblematic victory against monopolistic practices internationally, creating a framework for the balancing of forces within markets at the local and global level,” it adds.
Dimitris Chris, Director of Business Development and member of the Board of Directors of Macedonia -Thrace Brewery, said: “We feel completely vindicated by the decision. It is a victory for all the independent breweries of Europe that have been confronted with the abuses of multinational giants.”
Greek brewer founded in 1996
The Brewery of Macedonia-Thrace was founded in 1996 and is based in Komotini, north-east Greece. Vergina Beer is its signature product. The market share of the company ranges between around 5 and 7 percent.
In 2013 Vergina Weiss won the Silver Medal and second place for MTB in the “Speciality Wheat Beer” category at the International Brewing Awards competition, the oldest one since 1886.
In 2014 and 2018 again Vergina Weiss won the Bronze and Silver Medal accordingly, in the “South German-Style Hefeweizen Hell” category at the European Beer Star competition.
In 2020 the company launched a new beer product, Vergina Alcohol Free, a low-alcohol beer (almost zero), and proceeded to a general rebranding with the formation of a new logo, graphics and product packaging.
Related: Greece’s Handcrafted Beers Hit the Spot
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