The Greek subsidiary of Dutch-based company ‘Jacobs Douwe Egberts (JDE)’ was slapped with a 1mln-euro fine by the Greek market auditing authorities for profiteering.
The Greek Minister of Development, Kostas Skrekas, announced the fine on the large multinational company, which deals in coffee and tea, on Tuesday after an audit carried out by the state’s market watchdog, the Interagency Market Control Unit (DIMEA) revealed it had reportedly violated a relevant law aimed at clamping down on practices to gain excessive or unfair profit.
The Greek Ministry of Development has unleashed an unprecedented audit operation, having conducted over 20,600 inspections since the beginning of 2023, which resulted in fines amounting to €10.3 million.
The market watchdog continued comprehensive audits, as in November alone, more than 1,250 inspections were carried out, resulting in fines exceeding €5.5 million.
The Minister of Development, Kostas Skrekas, warned that unfair speculation against Greek households would be dealt with accordingly, especially “under the current imported inflationary pressures”, he noted.
“The Greek government is the only one in Europe that has and still enforces a law against unfair profit. The continuous presence of audit mechanisms from the Ministry of Development in the market ensures compliance with legality, healthy competition, and, as demonstrated in practice, reduces prices on the shelves.”
Fines for other multinational companies
The latest hefty fine comes on the heels of another large financial penalty of €1,672,000 recently levied against Johnson & Johnson and Colgate.
The tough clamp down against multinational companies’ profiteering practices kicked off on November 2, when Greek authorities imposed the first two fines, each amounting to €1 million, on ‘PROCTER & GAMBLE HELLAS MONOPROSOPI E.P.E.’ and ‘ELAIS UNILEVER HELLAS AE.’
Source: tovima.com
Latest News
Kasselakis Reveals Name of New Party: ‘Movement for Democracy’
Arriving at the venue, Kasselakis greeted his supporters warmly, saying, “You became the movement, and today we become a party.”
PM Mitsotakis on TikTok on ‘Gigabit Voucher’ Program
The "Gigabit Voucher" program will provide an array of benefits for households and small businesses, as Mitsotakis pointed out in his video post.
Presidential Decree Downgrading Art School Degrees in Question
The Council of State has challenged a presidential decree downgrading art school degrees, citing constitutional violations
Stormy Winds and Thunderstorms, as Cold Snap Hits Greece
Special units from the electricity distribution network HEDNO are working to restore damage caused to electric poles after trees fell on them due to the strong gusts in Preveza.
Fitch Ratings Maintains Greece at BBB-; Retains Stable Outlook
Fitch Ratings: Greece's ratings are supported by income per capita levels above and governance indicators in line with the 'BBB' median
Global Citrus Production Declines – Greece’s Outlook
In Greece, specifically, orange prices increased by 30.18% this Sept.
NATO Secretary General Rutte to visit Greece
Former Dutch PM Mark Rutte, the Alliance's new chief will first visit Ankara a day earlier to meet with Turkish leadership
PM Mitsotakis from Naxos: Decarbonization Fund to Facilitate Islands’ Green Transition
“The resources will help connect the islands to the mainland's electricity grid," he noted.
Retail Sales in Greece Up 0.8% in Q4 2024: ELSTAT
Retail businesses in the food and fuel sectors posted a turnover of €6.82 billion in Q3 2024, a 1.2% increase compared to €6.73 billion in Q3 2023
September in Greece Winning Tourists Over from US, Germany
Tourists continue to visit Greece off-season into Sept. with the number of inbound travelers up by 6.6% and a 7.9% rise in travel receipts.