The company spread misleading and incomplete advertising messages to promote the online sale of alcoholic beverages at promotional prices

The Italian Competition Authority has imposed a 150,000 euro fine on Tannico s.r.l. for an unfair commercial practice. Through its website www.tannico.it and the Tannico app, the company advertised alcoholic beverages using misleading and incomplete price reduction claims.

In particular, Tannico s.r.l. promoted many products as being “on sale”, while the prices labelled as “promotional” were actually higher than or equal to the lowest price applied in the previous 30 days, in violation of consumer protection rules on the accuracy of information about the true economic benefit of promotions. In mid-July 2025, during the investigation, the company changed its website and app, thereby bringing the infringement to an end.

Rome, 17 November 2025

Text of the decision

The company promoted its annual “Wizz All You Can Fly” subscription without providing adequate and timely information on the limitations of the offer. The unfair nature of certain terms contained in the original version of the general terms and conditions has also been established.

The Italian Competition Authority has imposed a 500,000 euro fine on low-cost airline Wizz Air Hungary Ltd after finding that it breached the provisions of the Consumer Code on unfair commercial practices and unfair contract terms. The Authority’s investigation focused on the annual “Wizz All You Can Fly” subscription service, which enables subscribers to fly at a fixed fare on all international routes operated by the airline, for a price of 599.00 euro (499.00 euro during the early stage of the promotion).

In particular, the Authority established that Wizz Air’s promotional campaigns presented the service as an unlimited subscription, failing however to provide adequate and timely information on the limitations placed on its use. As a result, the pre-contractual information given to consumers on the features of the subscription was incomplete and ambiguous, especially with regard to the booking windows for individual flights, the number and type of seats available to subscribers on each flight, and further limitations on the use of the service.

The Authority also found a number of terms in the original version of the general terms and conditions to be unfair. These allowed Wizz Air to change the terms and conditions of the service or to discontinue it altogether, without providing valid reasons or adequate safeguards for consumers. In addition to hindering the right to a pro rata refund, the terms in question restricted the right of withdrawal in the event of suspension or termination of the service, including where the airport concerned was the one designated by the consumer as their preferred hub. The unfair terms resulted in a significant imbalance in the rights and obligations of subscribers.

The Authority has ordered that an excerpt of its final decision be published on Wizz Air’s website.

Rome, 14 November 2025

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The company sold clothing items that were never made available in Maison Coveri boutiques or other non-outlet stores, misrepresenting prices and discounts

The Italian Competition Authority has imposed a 300,000 euro fine on Man Project S.r.l. for an unfair commercial practice related to the sale of clothing under the Coveri Tailor brand. Upon their arrival in Italy, these products already bore a price tag featuring multiple amounts, with the higher price “crossed out”, despite being in fact new garments intended solely for outlet stores and never offered for sale in traditional stores and/or in non-outlet Coveri boutiques.

Following an investigation launched as a result of a complaint by the Livorno Customs Office, the Authority found that this sales method amounts to an unfair commercial practice in breach of the Consumer Code, as it misleads consumers about the nature of the products for sale. In fact, the garments in question were not discounted leftover stock from a well-known brand or “unsold” items from previous collections. Moreover, the use of higher, “crossed-out” prices on tags – which were never actually applied and did not reflect real selling prices in regular stores – further misled consumers once inside Man Project’s outlet stores about the discount and the apparent value for money of their purchase.

 Rome, 5 November 2025

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DJI, a world leader in the production of civil drones, and Nital S.p.A., its importer in Italy, are thought to have imposed resale prices, cautioning resellers who failed to comply

The Italian Competition Authority has launched an investigation into DJI Europe B.V. and Nital S.p.A. over a suspected vertical agreement in breach of Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).

The two companies are thought to have fixed the resale prices of DJI’s enterprise drones in Italy vis-à-vis resellers of such products (resale price maintenance, “RPM”). The companies under investigation are DJI, a world leader in the production of civil drones (specifically enterprise drones), and Nital, the company’s importer in Italy.

Complaints received by the Authority suggest that DJI and Nital monitor discrepancies between the prices charged by resellers and those published on Nital’s website (www.hobbyhobby.it). They then reportedly caution resellers who diverge through cease-and-desist letters over the use of DJI’s trademark and other distinctive signs and threats to cut off supplies. In doing so, DJI and Nital appear to impose resale price maintenance across their distribution network, removing any form of competition through discounts and price reductions for customers.

Furthermore, it appears that, in order to ensure the implementation of the RPM system in Italy, the parties also seek to restrict resellers’ purchases abroad (parallel imports), thereby preventing them from offering discounts based on lower prices charged by foreign suppliers. In the Authority’s view, the RPM system in question may amount to a hardcore restriction under Article 4(a) of Commission Regulation (EU) No. 720/2022.

Inspections at the premises of Nital S.p.A. and several resellers of DJI enterprise drones were carried out on 23 October by the Authority’s officials, assisted by the Special Antitrust Unit of the Italian Financial Police (Guardia di Finanza).

Rome, 29 October 2025

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SAS, a company which controls GNV, will transfer its 49% stake in Moby – without consideration – to Onorato Armatori (which controls Moby) and it will also waive the pledge over the remaining 51%. To repay the loan received from SAS, Moby will entrust a third party with organising a tender for the sale of a package of assets. Compensation for consumers who purchased tickets before 16 July.

The Italian Competition Authority has accepted and made binding the commitments offered by SAS - Shipping Agencies Services SARL (a company owned by MSC Holding), Moby S.p.A. and Grandi Navi Veloci S.p.A.

The investigation was opened on 5 November 2024 into a suspected cartel in breach of Article 101 TFEU, as a result of the structural link between Moby and GNV. This link arose after SAS acquired a 49% shareholding in Moby and was strengthened by the substantial loan provided by SAS to Moby in December 2023. According to the Authority, these transactions could have led to a deterioration in competitive dynamics on the routes where Moby and GNV (controlled by SAS) operate as competitors.

The commitments offered by SAS and Moby, and made binding by the Authority, remove the structural and financial links which had prompted the opening of the investigation.

In particular:

- SAS will transfer to Onorato Armatori (a company which controls Moby through a 51% shareholding) its 49% stake in Moby without consideration and also waive the pledge over the remaining 51%, which it had obtained as security for its loan to Moby in 2023.

- Moby will entrust an independent third party with organising a competitive and transparent procedure, open to all interested operators, for the sale of a package of assets identified on the basis of an independent valuation. The proceeds from the sale will be used to repay the loan received from SAS. To ensure Moby’s continued operations, certain assets will be subject to charter-back arrangements.

- If the proceeds from the sale of these assets are not sufficient to extinguish SAS’ loan, any remaining credit will be transferred to independent third parties on terms that safeguard Moby’s economic and financial sustainability.

Moby and GNV have also undertaken to provide compensation to consumers who, before the date of publication of the commitments (16 July 2025), purchased a trip on the Genova-Olbia, Genova-Porto Torres, Civitavecchia-Olbia routes scheduled between June and September 2025, or a trip on the Napoli-Palermo route scheduled for weekends between 1 November 2024 and 31 March 2025. For Moby, this compensation amounts to 5% of the ticket price (net of taxes, fees and ETS) if the consumer opts for a refund, or 10% if a voucher is chosen instead. For GNV, the compensation amounts to 15 euro for cabin travel and 7% of the ticket price for other trips.

Rome, 24 October 2025

Text of the decision

According to the Authority, the company promoted its innovative “smoke-free” products in an unfair manner

The Italian Competition Authority has launched an investigation into Philip Morris Italia S.p.A. over a suspected unfair commercial practice in the promotion of products using expressions such as “smoke-free”, “a smoke-free future” and/or “smoke-free products”.

These expressions may be unclear and incomplete to consumers, because they refer to products which – despite the absence of combustion – may still be harmful to health. Moreover, they are not less harmful than other products and may lead to addiction.

An inspection at the premises of Philip Morris Italia S.p.A. and Philip Morris Manufacturing & Technology Bologna S.p.A. was carried out yesterday by the Authority’s officials, assisted by the Special Antitrust Unit of the Italian Financial Police (Guardia di Finanza).

Rome, 15 October 2025

The company gave consumers incomplete and unclear information about the terms of the paid optional service intended to limit liability for vehicle damage in long-term rentals

The Italian Competition Authority has imposed a €5 million fine on ALD, a global player in the long-term car rental market, for an unfair commercial practice in the handling of customer charges for vehicle damage sustained during the rental period. In particular, at both the pre-contractual and contractual stage, the company gave consumers incomplete and unclear information about the nature, key features and terms of the paid optional service designed to limit liability for vehicle damage. This service, purchased by the vast majority of customers, was intended to limit consumers’ liability to the agreed deductible in the event of damage to the rental vehicle. However, the company failed to clarify that each incident had to be promptly reported through the ALD portal, preventing customers from fully benefiting from the service they had paid for.

Moreover, the investigation revealed that consumers were not adequately informed of the criteria used by the company to assess which damages fell outside normal wear and tear, and would therefore be charged to customers unless reported immediately (ALD only waives charges where the damage is considered “normal wear and tear”). Lastly, the Authority considered it aggressive to charge customers for repair costs of damages identified only at drop-off, following the technical inspection, since such damages were minor or not readily visible. These damages, unreported before drop-off precisely because they were difficult to detect, left consumers unable to benefit from the liability protection they had paid for, as a result of the company’s conduct.

Rome, 9 October 2025

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The investigation, prompted by a whistleblower’s complaint, revealed that the main oil companies coordinated to fix the value of the bio component factored into fuel prices.

The Italian Competition Authority has closed its investigation into Eni, Esso, Ip, Iplom, Q8, Saras and Tamoil (for the latter, also in relation to the conduct of Repsol, which it has now acquired), the most important oil operators in Italy. The Authority’s findings revealed an agreement restricting competition in the sale of motor fuel involving all companies except Iplom and Repsol. As a consequence, the companies were fined 936,659,087 euro in total. The Authority imposed a fine of 336,214,660 euro on Eni, 129,363,561 euro on Esso, 163,669,804 euro on Ip, 172,592,363 euro on Q8, 43,788,944 euro on Saras and 91,029,755 euro on Tamoil.

Following a complex investigation, prompted by a whistleblower’s complaint, the Authority found that Eni, Esso, Ip, Q8, Saras and Tamoil coordinated to set the value of the bio component factored into fuel prices (a component introduced by the companies to comply with obligations under current legislation). The cartel began on 1 January 2020 and continued until 30 June 2023. The value of this important price component rose from around 20€/m³ in 2019 to around 60€/m³ in 2023.

According to the Authority, the companies implemented parallel price increases – largely coinciding – which were driven by direct or indirect information exchanges among them. The cartel was further aided by the disclosure of the exact value of the bio component in numerous articles published in “Staffetta Quotidiana”, a well-known industry daily, also as a result of information sent directly to the newspaper by Eni.

Rome, 26 September 2025

Text of the decision

In mid-July, San Benedetto S.p.A. changed its mineral water labels and packaging, as well as website and advertising, by removing green claims stating that the production of its Ecogreen bottles had no impact on the environment.

The Italian Competition Authority has successfully exerted its moral suasion on Acqua Minerale San Benedetto S.p.A., prompting the company to remove potentially misleading green claims previously used to promote and market its Ecogreen line products.

The labels of the Ecogreen line bottles, the www.sanbenedetto.it website and several promotional spots/videos displayed on the company’s website and YouTube featured green claims stating that the production of mineral water bottles caused zero greenhouse gas emissions, and even implying a positive impact on the environment.

Following the Authority’s moral suasion, San Benedetto removed the potentially misleading references from its advertising, in particular by withdrawing the “zero CO₂ impact” claim from labels, packaging and all promotional materials (including TV ads and its website). The company also revised its environmental claims, along with the graphic elements evoking natural imagery. In addition, it included a QR code on the label, directing consumers to a new section of its website dedicated to sustainability.

On green claims, the Authority once again stresses the importance for companies to make clear and accurate statements about the steps they are taking to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions resulting from their activities.

Rome, 26 August 2025