Brussels, February 6, 2026 — The Belgian Competition Authority has issued a statement of objections to Tiense Suikerraffinaderij NV and its parent company Südzucker AG over a suspected abuse of economic dependence affecting sugar beet growers in Belgium.
According to the authority, the case concerns a potential infringement of Article IV.2/1 of the Belgian Code of Economic Law, which prohibits the abuse of economic dependence where a company exploits a position of strength to impose unfair conditions on trading partners that lack a reasonable alternative. Such conduct may distort market functioning in Belgium.
The authority’s objections focus on contractual practices applied by Tiense Suikerraffinaderij to sugar beet growers supplying the refinery. The practices under investigation are alleged to impose unfair contractual terms that create a general situation of uncertainty for growers, particularly regarding income prospects. The authority also raises concerns that the arrangements unnecessarily restrict growers’ autonomy in managing their agricultural and commercial activities and shift commercial risks in the sugar sector disproportionately onto producers.
In its statement of objections, the authority considers that the affected sugar beet growers are economically dependent on Tiense Suikerraffinaderij, given the absence of reasonable equivalent alternatives for marketing their production. On that basis, the authority preliminarily finds that the practices may constitute an abuse of economic dependence and may distort market conditions, particularly in relation to the supply of sugar beets in Belgium.
The authority emphasised that a statement of objections does not prejudge the final outcome of the procedure. Both Tiense Suikerraffinaderij and Südzucker will now be able to fully exercise their rights of defence. This includes access to the investigation file and the opportunity to submit written responses addressing the allegations raised by the authority.
The case forms part of the Belgian authority’s enforcement of the relatively recent economic dependence rules, which are designed to protect smaller market participants where traditional dominance thresholds may not be met but significant bargaining imbalances exist.
No timeline has been indicated for the conclusion of the proceedings.
Source: https://www.bma-abc.be/sites/default/files/content/download/files/20260206_Persbericht_4_BMA.pdf
