The Plenary Session of the Competition Commission (CC), by its unanimous Decision No. 913/2026, accepted the Settlement Proposal submitted by VF HELLAS CLOTHING LTD. and imposed a reduced fine, totaling €954,485, for practices obstructing the effective use of the internet, in violation of Article 1 of Law 3959/2011 and Article 101 TFEU.
The case concerns the markets for the import/manufacture and sale of school supplies (such as school bags, lunch bags, and pencil cases), as well as branded clothing and footwear. As part of an ex officio investigation, the Directorate-General for Competition (DGC) conducted on-site inspections at companies operating in these markets. After sufficient evidence was gathered, the company in question submitted a request to enter the dispute resolution procedure, in accordance with paragraph 16 of Decision No. 790/2022 of the Hellenic Competition Commission.
VFH is a subsidiary of the U.S. group VF Corporation and is active in the import and wholesale of school supplies and branded clothing and footwear. It markets, among others, the VANS, EASTPAK, and THE NORTH FACE brands.
It emerged from its contracts with retailers that the company restricted, through contractual terms, their ability to freely choose methods of selling products online. Specifically, it prohibited the use of online platforms as sales channels, thereby limiting end consumers’ search options and competition.
These restrictions applied to all products (school supplies, clothing, and footwear) bearing a specific brand name (e.g., Vans).
Specifically, the company engaged in:
- (a) a complete ban on the use of price comparison websites; and
- b) a ban on the use of advertising services on search engines (particularly Google Ads).
These practices constitute hardcore restrictions under Article 4(e) of Regulation (EU) No. 720/2022.
The ECA Plenary decided to accept the Settlement Proposal, in accordance with the reasoning set forth in the Rapporteur’s Report, and to impose the aforementioned fine.