The EC has imposed fines of Euros 1.5M on Kronenbourg & Euros 1M on Heineken for having come to an arrangement on the French beer market (facts going back to 1996). At the time, Kronenbourg, which belonged to Danone, & Dutch group Heineken had concluded an agreement to control the hotel-restaurants-catering distribution networks, in a "non-agression pact" akin to dividing up the market. However, the agreement was never implemented & the Commission took this into account when determining the amount of the fines. The department of the Competition Commissioner of the EC, did, however, consider the fact that this was a repeat offence, occurring at virtually the same time, as an aggravating circumstance in the case of Danone, which had already been convicted in the affair of "Belgian cartel" through its subsidiary Alkan Maes.
