Authority uncovers a cartel among the main Italian producers of savoury snacks sold as private label products. The three companies participated in a market-sharing agreement in relation to the supply of savoury snacks manufactured for large-scale retailers.

The Italian Competition Authority has imposed a fine totalling 23,298,147 euro on Amica Chips S.p.A. (8,239,210 euro), Pata S.p.A. (7,555,387 euro) and Preziosi Food S.p.A. (7,503,550 euro). The Authority’s findings uncovered an agreement restricting competition, in breach of article 101 TFEU, in the Italian market for savoury snacks manufactured on behalf of large-scale retailers and sold through the latter’s own distribution network as private label products.

The three companies participated in a single, complex and continuous market-sharing cartel in relation to the supply of savoury snacks manufactured for large-scale retailers, by coordinating their respective commercial strategies.

The Authority applied its leniency programme and granted Pata and Amica Chips a reduction in fines, in light of the evidence they provided, which was significant in establishing the infringement. Moreover, the Authority resorted to the settlement procedure under article 14-quater of Law 287 of 10 October 1990 for the first time. The successful outcome of that procedure resulted in a further reduction in fines for all three companies.

Rome, 28 April 2026

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The companies appear to have shut down the Neato robot cloud services, making the device unusable

Prompted by several consumer complaints received between November 2025 and April 2026, the Italian Competition Authority has launched an investigation into Vorwerk Management s.r.l. and Vorwerk Italia s.a.s. for engaging in an unfair commercial practice. The companies appear to have shut down the Neato robot cloud services, causing the device to lose its essential functions and thus hindering consumers’ ability to use it.

According to the Authority, this conduct may amount to a misleading and aggressive practice, pursuant to articles 20, 21, 22 and 24 of the Consumer Code. This is because shutting down the software systems of a device that is otherwise still in full working order, radically changes the nature, features and value of the product, hindering consumers’ ability to use it.

Inspections at the premises of Vorwerk Management s.r.l. and Vorwerk Italia s.a.s. were carried out yesterday by the Authority’s officials, assisted by the Special Antitrust Unit of the Italian Financial Police (Guardia di Finanza).

Rome, 23 April 2026

Authority concerned that Booking.com may be presenting accommodation providers in the “Preferred Partner” and “Preferred Plus” programmes as selected on the basis of service quality and value for money, even though the relevant eligibility criteria do not appear to ensure that those standards are met.

The Italian Competition Authority has launched an investigation into Booking.com B.V., Booking.com International B.V. and Booking.com (Italia) S.r.l. for engaging in unfair commercial practices. In particular, Booking.com seems to offer accommodation providers belonging to the Preferred Partner Programme (and its premium tier Preferred Plus) greater visibility in search results within the platform, increased graphic prominence, and claims highlighting service quality and value for money. This is despite the fact that the eligibility criteria for those programmes do not appear to justify the advantages afforded to those providers.

In the Authority’s view, selection for the Preferred Partner Programme appears to be driven largely by criteria that favour accommodation providers paying higher commissions to Booking.com, rather than by the quality of what they offer. As a result, the way those providers are presented, together with claims by Booking.com highlighting their quality, may mislead consumers into believing that, all else being equal, they offer better overall value for money than providers not in the programme. This could even lead consumers to book accommodation that is, on average, more expensive.

Inspections at the premises of Booking.com (Italia) S.r.l. were carried out yesterday by the Authority’s officials, assisted by the Special Antitrust Unit of the Italian Financial Police (Guardia di Finanza).

Rome, 22 April 2026

Revolut spread misleading information about its investment services and employed aggressive and misleading methods in the management of banking services.

The Italian Competition Authority has fined Revolut Securities Europe UAB, a company of the group which offers investment services in Europe, and Revolut Group Holdings Ltd over 11 million euro for engaging in unfair commercial practices. Specifically, the two companies were fined 5 million euro for breaching articles 20, 21 and 22 of the Consumer Code: they failed to clearly disclose, from the very first point of contact with clients, the additional costs and limitations involved in commission-free investments. These investments include fractional shares, which – when compared to full shares – involve significant differences, also in terms of risks, rights and transferability of shares. 

The Authority also imposed a fine totalling 5 million euro on Revolut Group Holdings Ltd and Revolut Bank UAB, a company of the group offering banking services in Europe. It found that the companies had used aggressive practices in managing the suspension, limitation and blocking of payment accounts, while omitting (or failing to clearly provide) key information on the relevant terms and procedures. In particular, the companies did not provide clients with sufficient pre-contractual information, or advance notice before restrictions were imposed, nor did they provide an opportunity to respond or adequate assistance once restrictions had been imposed. Preventing users, sometimes for extended periods, from accessing funds and related services hinders their ability to exercise their contractual rights and meet everyday needs, including urgent ones. The Authority therefore found the conducts to be in breach of articles 20, 21, 22, 24 and 25 of the Consumer Code, in view of their potential to unduly influence the freedom of choice of consumers and microenterprises.

Lastly, the Authority imposed a further 1.5 million euro fine on Revolut Group Holdings Ltd and Revolut Bank UAB for not providing clear and exhaustive information on the requirements and timeframe for obtaining an Italian IBAN (starting with IT) instead of a Lithuanian IBAN (starting with LT), in breach of articles 20, 21 and 22 of the Consumer Code.

Rome, 2 April 2026

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The company implemented a vertical agreement within its selective distribution system by controlling the maximum discounts authorised jewellers could offer, and also prevented them from operating on third-party platforms and marketplaces.

The Italian Competition Authority has imposed a 25,895,043 euro fine on Morellato S.p.A. for engaging in an anti-competitive agreement in the distribution of mid-range, affordable jewellery and watches, lasting from 20 July 2018 to 23 December 2025.

The Authority found that Morellato, one of Italy’s leading manufacturers of mid-range, affordable watches and jewellery (that is, non-luxury products), imposed resale prices by setting the maximum discounts distributors could offer on online sales channels, through specific guidance on applicable discount percentages.

The Authority found that Morellato implemented this conduct by continuously monitoring the prices applied by distributors, with penalties against those that did not follow its instructions, through repeated warnings, demands to remove discounts, the automatic blocking of orders and Amazon accounts, as well as threats to terminate contracts.

Moreover, Morellato’s distribution agreements contained an express clause prohibiting its distributors from selling on third-party online platforms (such as Amazon, eBay, etc.). Morellato monitored compliance with this marketplace ban and responded to breaches with threats and retaliatory measures – despite itself using those same marketplaces to sell its products.

The Authority therefore concluded that Morellato’s conduct amounted to a vertical agreement in breach of article 101 TFEU. By imposing resale prices and restricting online sales through marketplaces in a discriminatory and disproportionate manner, Morellato reduced competition between authorised distributors and limited their freedom to determine their own commercial policies.

Rome, 31 March 2026

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Executive Summary

The companies may have failed to make clear that the cosmetics sold by Sephora and Benefit Cosmetics are not intended for children and adolescents, while appearing instead to have encouraged their purchase through covert marketing strategies involving young micro-influencers.

The Italian Competition Authority has launched two investigations, one into Sephora Italia S.r.l., and the other into Benefit Cosmetics LLC, Sephora Italia S.r.l. and LVMH Profumi e Cosmetici Italia S.r.l. The investigations centre on possible unfair commercial practices linked to the premature use of adult cosmetics among children and adolescents (including those under the age of 10/12) by encouraging the compulsive purchase of face masks, serums and anti-ageing creams. These practices are linked to the broader issue of “cosmeticorexia” – an obsession with skincare among minors.

The investigations were opened over concerns that important information – such as warnings and precautions for cosmetics not intended for, or tested on, minors – may have been omitted or presented in a misleading manner, including online and in Sephora stores, and particularly in relation to the Sephora Collection and Benefit Cosmetics lines. The frequent and combined use of a wide range of cosmetics by minors, without proper awareness, may be harmful to their health.

The companies also appear to have adopted a particularly insidious marketing strategy, involving very young micro-influencers who encourage the compulsive purchase of cosmetics among young people, a particularly vulnerable group.

Inspections at the premises of Sephora Italia S.r.l., LVMH Profumi e Cosmetici Italia S.r.l. and LVMH Italia S.p.A. were carried out yesterday by the Authority’s officials, assisted by the Special Antitrust Unit of the Italian Financial Police (Guardia di Finanza).

Rome, 27 March 2026

Authority concerned that Edenred may have shifted unjustified costs onto large-scale retail chains, with potential impacts on consumer prices.

The Italian Competition Authority has launched an investigation into Edenred Italia S.r.l. and its parent company Edenred SE over a possible abuse of a dominant position in the national market for the provision of meal vouchers to employees in place of canteen services, in breach of article 102 TFEU.

Following the introduction of a statutory cap on the reimbursement fees charged to affiliated businesses accepting meal vouchers, Edenred is thought to have implemented a complex strategy aimed at shifting entirely unjustified costs onto large-scale retail chains. In particular, Edenred seems to have unilaterally changed how electronic meal vouchers are accepted by discontinuing the direct integration between large-scale retail checkout systems and its own authorisation platforms. This appears to have been replaced by a requirement to use third-party interconnection systems, resulting in higher costs for large-scale retail chains. It seems Edenred also imposed other unfavourable conditions, such as longer voucher reimbursement periods.

Greater operational complexity and higher costs for large-scale retail chains may lead to higher prices for consumers and affect the proper functioning of the market.

The Authority’s officials, assisted by the Special Antitrust Unit of the Italian Financial Police (Guardia di Finanza), carried out inspections yesterday at the premises of Edenred Italia S.r.l. as well as at the premises of the other major meal voucher issuing companies and of some third-party interconnection system providers, deemed to hold documents relevant to the investigation.

Rome, 26 March 2026

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The final event was attended by the Authority’s Chairman, Roberto Rustichelli. A video message was delivered by the Minister for Enterprises and Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso.

The Italian Competition Authority and the Ministry for Enterprises and Made in Italy have concluded their #convieneSaperlo (anche a scuola) 2025-2026 awareness raising campaign for schools with a final event at the Auditorium Parco della Musica in Rome. The event brought together 450 lower and upper secondary school pupils from across Italy and was attended by the Authority’s Chairman, Roberto Rustichelli.

“The Italian Competition Authority has long been committed to engaging with schools and helping to raise students’ awareness of their consumer rights,” said the Authority’s Chairman, Roberto Rustichelli. “This competition is part of that effort, reflecting our strong belief in the need to engage with young people. They are the consumers of tomorrow, but already play an active role in purchasing decisions today. With the skills they acquire, they can also act as ambassadors for the Authority among their families and friends”.

THE SCHOOL COMPETITION

At the heart of the #convieneSaperlo (anche a scuola) 2025-2026 campaign was a competition for secondary school pupils, focused on the role of the Italian Competition Authority, consumer rights and the safeguards against unfair commercial practices. Following study sessions and online exercises on a dedicated platform, 1,435 pupils from participating classes took part in a Quiz Day at the end of January, competing in a final multiple-choice quiz. At the closing event, students then competed in a rapid-response quiz, which determined the three individual prize winners in each category, followed by a case study exercise for the three semi-finalist classes and a head-to-head final between the top two classes in each category to decide the winners of the school prize.

The top three schools received vouchers for school equipment worth €10,000 (including a €50 book voucher for each student in the class), €6,000 and €3,000 respectively. Individual prizes were also awarded, with the top performers in the final rounds receiving vouchers – to be spent on technology, culture, education and sport – worth €1,500, €1,000 and €500 for first, second and third place.

Further information is available at https://convienesaperlo.agcm.it/.

Rome, 25 March 2026

Online review platform provided consumer rating information not always representative of customers’ actual experiences

The Italian Competition Authority has imposed a 4 million euro fine on Trustpilot Group Plc, Trustpilot A/S and Trustpilot S.r.l. for engaging in an unfair commercial practice.

The investigation revealed that the companies failed to carry out adequate checks to ensure the authenticity of the reviews published on their platform, including where such reviews were labelled by Trustpilot as verified. The Authority found that the review collection services offered by the platform – promoted as tools to reduce the risk of false or misleading content and to ensure greater system integrity – actually allow businesses to select the consumers to whom review invitations are sent, with implications for the overall representativeness of the published ratings.

The Authority also established that Trustpilot failed to ensure consumers had adequate access to key information regarding the functioning of the platform, the use of paid-for services by businesses featured on the platform and other aspects relevant to consumer decision-making.

Taken together, these conducts – also implemented using interface design techniques typical of dark patterns – amount to a misleading practice, in breach of articles 20, 21, 22, 23(1)(bb-ter) of the Consumer Code.

Rome, 23 March 2026

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