Abstract
This contribution contains a description of grocery retail market in Italy and the more significant cases handled by the Italian Competition Authority (the “ICA”) in this sector.
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Notes
- 1.
Italian Competition Authority – Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato, http://www.agcm.it/.
- 2.
“Norme per la tutela della concorrenza e del mercato” (Regulations to protect competition and the market, also known as Law 287/90).
- 3.
“A purchasing centre (in some cases also referred to as “super-centres”) is an association that companies or medium-sized and big distribution consortiums belong to, with the aim of increasing their bargaining power with respect to the producers; however, the companies belonging to a purchasing centre may be in competition against one another on the end market. The aggregation of a number of entities in a centre therefore aims to obtain discounts on the sales prices of the producers. Contracts refer to prices and some national advertising activities, generally without any restrictions on the quantities purchased. Agreements usually last for a year, with limited options to review the contracts at interim periods. The contracts agreed by the purchasing centre are a type of “framework agreement” that applies to all members of the centre. After entering into the agreement, the obligations under the contract (including the terms and conditions of payment) must be met by the individual distributors that form part of the purchasing centre”. See Bank of Italy, Questioni di Economia e Finanza – La grande distribuzione organizzata e l’industria alimentare in Italia [Large scale retailing and the food sector in Italy], Number 119, March 2012.
- 4.
Law no. 287 of 10 October 1990, “Norme per la tutela della concorrenza e del mercato”.
- 5.
Conversion into law, with amendments, of Law Decree no. 1 of 24 January 2012.
- 6.
Senate of the Republic, XVII LEGISLATURE – Relazione sull’attività svolta dall’Autorita Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato (year 2012) [Report on the activities of the Italian Competition Authority] and C. Rabitti Bedogni, Conclusioni al X Convegno Antitrust tra diritto nazionale e diritto dell’Unione Europea, [Conclusions of the X Antitrust Conference between National law and EU law] (Session “Pratiche antitrust nella grande distribuzione”), Treviso 17–18 May 2012.
- 7.
In accordance with Article 62, the ICA is in charge of monitoring the application of the provisions of the law and the imposition of any sanctions. It can act in its official capacity if given notice by interested parties.
- 8.
Legislative Decree no. 114 of 31 March 1998.
- 9.
Implementing Directive 2006/123/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2006 on services in the internal market, OJ 2006 L 376, p. 36.
- 10.
Law Decree no. 138 of 13 August 2011, converted into Law no. 148 of 14 September 2011.
- 11.
Law Decree no. 20 of 16 December 2011, converted with amendments by Law no. 214 of 22 December 2011.
- 12.
The first survey is the following: ICA “Indagine sulla distribuzione agroalimentare” (Survey on Agro-Food Distribution) – IC28 (order no. 14327 of 01/06/2005 – Beginning of survey/Order no. 16908 of 07/06/2007 – Ending of survey) (hereafter the “Survey on Agro-Food Distribution”); the second survey is the following: ICA, “Settore della Grande Distribuzione Organizzata” (Large scale retail sector) – IC43 (Order no. 21765 of 27/10/2010 – Beginning of survey/Order no. 24465 of 24/07/2013 – Ending of survey) (hereafter the “Survey on Large Scale Retail Sector”).
- 13.
ICA, “Meccanismi di trasmissione dei prezzi lungo la catena agro – alimentare: un esercizio di analisi sulla filiera della pasta alimentare secca” (price transmission mechanisms along the agro-food chain: an analysis of dry pasta supply chain) – Studies and research no. 4 (August 2011) (hereafter the “Study of the Dry-Pasta Chain”) in http://www.agcm.it/.
- 14.
ICA, “Qualità della regolazione e performance economiche a livello regionale: il caso della distribuzione commerciale in Italia” (Quality of the regulation and economic performance at regional level: commercial distribution in Italy) – Studies and research No. 1 (March 2007) (hereafter the “Study on the Commercial Distribution”) in http://www.agcm.it/.
- 15.
ICA, “Meccanismi di trasmissione dei prezzi lungo la catena agro-alimentare: un esercizio di analisi sulla filiera della pasta alimentare secca” (price transmission mechanisms along the agro-food chain: an analysis of dry pasta supply chain) – Studies and research no. 4 (August 2011).
- 16.
Study entitled “Qualità della regolazione e performance economiche a livello regionale: il caso della distribuzione commerciale in Italia” (Quality of the regulation and economic performance at regional level: commercial distribution in Italy) in http://www.agcm.it/ .
- 17.
Survey IC28 “Indagine sulla distribuzione agroalimentare” in http://www.agcm.it/.
- 18.
Survey IC43, “Settore della Grande Distribuzione Organizzata” in http://www.agcm.it/.
- 19.
It should be noted that in the Survey on Large Scale Retail Sector, it is stated that “the franchising or affiliation contracts used in the field of retail have a number of common features that substantially limit the scope for a full competition between the franchising stores of the same chain and the direct sales network of the same chain. All contracts, in fact, provide a set of very strict obligations on the part of the franchisee, especially regarding: methods of use of the sign and know-how the image, assortment, promotional and commercial policies, criteria on administrative and financial management, supply of accounting reports on sales and data for the economic management; in several cases, moreover, the requirements are also related to the methods for determining the selling prices and the granting of a right of pre-emption in the event of a sale of the assets and activities of the franchisee”.
- 20.
Art. 9, Law no. 192, June 18, 1998.
- 21.
Art. 62, Law no. 27/24, March 2012.
- 22.
Art. 18, Legislative Decree no. 114 of March 1, 1998.
- 23.
Legislative Decree no. 70 of 9 April 2003.
- 24.
Directive 2000/31/CE of June 8, 2000.
- 25.
Legislative Decree no. 206, September 6, 2005: it governs the contracts entered into by computer and the right to withdraw without any penalties and without specifying the reason (Art. 64 of the Consumer Code).
- 26.
Presidential Decree no. 218, April 6, 2001.
- 27.
Title VI of Legislative Decree 114, March 31, 1998.
- 28.
Order ICA n. 7804, Pepsico Foods and beverages international – Ibg Sud Coca Cola Italia; Order n. 9352, Coop Italia – Conad/Italia Distribuzione; Order n. 5276, Procter & Gamble/Tambrands.
- 29.
Art. 62 of Law Decree no. 1. January 24, 2012.
- 30.
Art. 16, para. 1 of Law no. 287/1990.
- 31.
Pursuant to the amendment to Art. 16, para. 1 of Law no. 287/90 by Law Decree no. 1/2012, “taking effect from 1 January 2013”, the aforesaid turnover thresholds became cumulative with the obligation to provide prior notification of the concentration if said thresholds were exceeded.
- 32.
OJ C 372 of December 9, 1997.
- 33.
Italian Competition Authority, Case C-3037, Schemaventuno – Promodes/Gruppo GS, Italian Competition Authority, Case A437 – Esselunga/Coop Estense.
- 34.
Italian Competition Authority, case I-397, Discount development and case C-10212, Lidl Italia.
- 35.
Official Journal C 372, 09/12/1997 P. 0005–0013.
- 36.
Italian Competition Authority, order no. 618/1992, case C526, STANDA/ESSEBI.
- 37.
Italian Competition Authority, case A437, Esselunga/Coop Estense.
- 38.
Italian Competition Authority, case C8971, Bolton Alimentari/Branch of Brands and case C10109, Bauli/Branch of Italian Nestle’.
- 39.
Italian Competition Authority, Case n. 5408, Cirio/Centrale del latte di Roma.
- 40.
Italian Competition Authority, Case n. 6113, Schemaventunopromodes/Gruppo GS.
- 41.
Italian Competition Authority, Case n. 11040, Società Esercizi Commerciali Iindustriali – s.e.c.i. – Co.pro.b. Finbieticola/Eridania.
- 42.
Italian Competition Authority, Case n. 14390, Koninklijke numico/Mellin.
- 43.
Italian Competition Authority, Case n. 23542, Conad del Tirreno/New branches of Billa.
- 44.
Italian Competition Authority, Case n. 24102, Bolton Alimentari/Simmenthal.
- 45.
Italian Competition Authority, Order no. 23639, of 6 June 2012.
- 46.
The so-called “Consiglio di Stato”.
- 47.
Art. 2, para. 2 of Law 287/90.
- 48.
Regional Administrative Court of Lazio, Case n. 7444, 27 August 2002.
- 49.
Italian Competition Authority, case no. 7747 (I174B), Bread prices in Trento. November 24, 1999.
- 50.
Italian Competition Authority, case 1569, Consorzio Grana Padano, order no. 13300 of June 24, 2004.
- 51.
Art. 2 of Law no. 287/90.
- 52.
Commission Communication of 13 October 2000: Guidelines on vertical restraints [COM(2000/C 291/01). OJ C 291 of 13.10.2000].
- 53.
Italian Competition Authority, case I695, Bread price list, concluded with Order no. 18443 of 4 June 2008 in http://www.agcm.it/.
- 54.
“Law on sub-contracting in productive activities” (Law on Sub-contracting), which came into effect on 20 October 1998 and was subsequently amended by Law no. 57 of 5 March 2001, “Provisions on opening and governing markets”.
- 55.
Landriscina, L’abuso di dipendenza economica tra violazione del canone di buona fede e abuso del diritto [The abuse of economic dependence between breach of the rules of good faith and abuse of law] note to order of the Court of Turin 11/03/2010, in Giur. comm. 2011, p. 1479.
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Raffaelli, A., Leone, S. (2015). Italy. In: Kobel, P., Këllezi, P., Kilpatrick, B. (eds) Antitrust in the Groceries Sector & Liability Issues in Relation to Corporate Social Responsibility. LIDC Contributions on Antitrust Law, Intellectual Property and Unfair Competition. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-45753-5_12
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