Brussels, 2 June 2025 — The European Commission has fined food delivery companies Delivery Hero and Glovo a total of €329 million for participating in a cartel that undermined competition across the European Economic Area (EEA) between 2018 and 2022.
According to the Commission, the two companies coordinated on three fronts: agreeing not to hire each other’s employees, sharing sensitive commercial information, and dividing up national markets to avoid competing directly. These practices, the Commission said, restricted consumer choice, limited opportunities for workers, and stifled innovation in a fast-growing sector.
This is the Commission’s first decision finding a cartel in the labour market, and the first time it has fined the anticompetitive use of a minority shareholding in a competitor. Delivery Hero had acquired a minority stake in Glovo in 2018 and became its majority owner in 2022.
“These practices were facilitated through Delivery Hero’s stake in Glovo,” said Executive Vice-President Teresa Ribera. “It is also the first time the Commission is sanctioning a no-poach agreement, where companies stop competing for the best talent and reduce opportunities for workers.”
Delivery Hero was fined €223 million, while Glovo will pay €106 million. Both companies admitted their involvement and settled the case, receiving a 10% reduction in their fines.
The Commission’s investigation began in 2022 after unannounced inspections and tips from a national competition authority and anonymous whistleblowers. Victims of the cartel may now seek damages in national courts.
Source: https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_25_1356
