Dear Readers,
The short week before the holidays delivered an unusually dense set of major dominance cases, court judgments, and high-value fines, alongside important policy and merger developments across Europe and beyond. Italy, in particular, stood out with multiple blockbuster dominance decisions, while EU courts continued to refine core abuse doctrines with potentially far-reaching implications for enforcement.
As ever, thank you for reading and for your continued engagement.
Please share any comments or suggestions with me by email at
sylwester.frazzoni@competition.today
Have a great week,
Sylwester Frazzoni
Managing Editor
Below is my selection of the most significant developments, organised by theme.
Dominance: Big Tech, Platforms, And Market Power
This was an exceptional week for dominance enforcement.
- Italy Orders Meta To Suspend WhatsApp AI Restrictions
The Italian Competition Authority imposed interim measures requiring Meta to immediately suspend new WhatsApp terms that would block competing AI chatbot providers. The authority warned of serious and irreparable harm to competition, signalling a tough stance on platform control in emerging AI markets. - Italy Fines Apple €98.6 Million Over App Tracking Transparency
Italy imposed a €98.6 million fine on Apple for abusing its dominant position through the design of its App Tracking Transparency framework, finding that it distorted competition in iOS app distribution and advertising markets. - Italy Fines Ryanair $301 Million For Abuse Of Dominance
In one of the largest European abuse fines of the year, Italy sanctioned Ryanair for restricting travel agencies’ ability to sell flights as part of travel packages, reinforcing scrutiny of digital and contractual foreclosure strategies. - Brazil Moves To Approve Apple iOS Settlement
Brazil’s CADE formed a majority to approve a landmark settlement with Apple that will reshape iOS app distribution and in-app payment rules, marking another jurisdiction forcing structural changes to Apple’s ecosystem. - Portugal Issues Statement Of Objections Against Property Portal
Portugal accused the country’s dominant online real estate portal, its parent company, and senior executives of abusing dominance, underlining growing enforcement against digital intermediaries beyond Big Tech.
Litigation
Courts across Europe and the UK delivered important clarifications for competition enforcement and private actions.
- EU Court Clarifies Margin Squeeze Analysis In Lukoil Bulgaria Case
The Court of Justice confirmed that authorities must establish upstream dominance before finding a margin squeeze and may only group products into a single market where substitutability is proven — a significant ruling for future abuse cases. - EU Court Defines Access Obligations For Privatised Infrastructure
In a related Lukoil ruling, the Court clarified when dominant firms can be required to grant access to fuel storage and transport infrastructure originally built with public funds. - UK CAT Bars Parts Of Foundem’s Google Damages Claim
The Competition Appeal Tribunal struck out time-barred OneBox allegations in Foundem’s long-running damages action against Google, highlighting procedural limits in follow-on litigation. - US DOJ Supports Scrutiny Of Real Estate Brokerage Practices
The US Department of Justice intervened in private litigation to underline that brokerage rules and association conduct remain subject to antitrust law.
(For full case-by-case reporting, see the Court Reporting section)
Cartels And Anticompetitive Agreements
Public enforcement against cartels and restrictive agreements remained active across multiple continents.
- Ireland Secures Criminal Convictions In School Transport Cartel
Five individuals were convicted for bid-rigging in publicly funded school transport tenders, marking a major milestone for Irish criminal cartel enforcement. - Malaysia Provisionally Finds Prison Tender Bid-Rigging
Six firms were provisionally found to have colluded in prison procurement bids, involving multiple coordinated quotations and tenders. - Japan Fines Engineering Firms For Rail Tender Collusion
Japan sanctioned five engineering firms for bid-rigging rail bridge inspection contracts. - Vertical Restraints Enforcement
Authorities in Australia and Romania imposed sanctions and secured commitments over resale price maintenance, including significant fines against Philip Morris and distributors in Romania.
Mergers: In-Depth Probes, Conditions, And Enforcement
- Portugal Opens Phase II Probe Into Tugboat Merger
Portugal launched an in-depth investigation into Boluda’s proposed acquisition of Remolcanosa, citing serious competition concerns in maritime tugboat services. - South Korea Fines Airlines For Breaching Merger Remedies
Korean Air and Asiana were fined for failing to comply with behavioural commitments imposed as part of their merger approval.
Policy And Market Studies
Competition authorities continued to shape the regulatory environment through studies and legislative developments.
- Lithuania Halves Competition Fines Despite EU Concerns
Lithuania’s parliament approved amendments reducing base infringement fines, despite warnings from the national authority and the Commission. - Germany Calls For Overhaul Of EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation
Berlin urged a major reform of the FSR, arguing that compliance burdens outweigh enforcement gains. - Sector Inquiries Across Europe And Beyond
Authorities in Greece, Romania, Brazil, Indonesia, and Kazakhstan published reports or launched studies covering banking, agriculture, digital ecosystems, platform dominance, and pricing algorithms.
