Stampa

Transportation of goods to and from Sardinia: Moby and CIN, penalty of 29 million euro for abuse of dominant position


PRESS RELEASE


The Italian Antitrust Authority fined Moby S.p.A. and Compagnia Italiana di Navigazione S.p.A., both companies of the Onorato group, with a sanction of 29 million euro for having misused their dominant position in three different routes of maritime transportation of goods between Sardinia and mainland Italy (Northern Sardinia-Northern Italy, Northern Sardinia-Central Italy, Southern Sardinia-Central Italy), in violation of article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. 

During this investigation - originated from the complaints of two logistics companies, named Trans Isole S.r.l. and Nuova Logistica Lucianu S.r.l., and of a maritime transportation company, named Grimaldi Euromed S.p.A., subsequently joined by the intervener in the proceedings Grendi Trasporti Marittimi S.p.A. - the Italian Antitrust Authority ascertained that Moby and CIN have put in place a composite and aggressive anti-competitive conduct to hinder the competitors’ growing.

In particular, on one side this behavior consisted of  unjustified retaliations and penalizations, both economic and commercial, towards the logistics companies using competitor services and, on the other side granting several competitive advantages to the undertakings loyal to CIN and Moby, in order to  subtract orders from logistics companies that became customers of the ship-owners competing with the dominant company. 

The multi-shaped strategy created by the aforementioned companies of the Onorato group has seriously reduced competition, hindering the entrance of new competitors in the three routes for maritime transportation of goods to and from Sardinia, with the result of seriously affecting the consumers of the goods object of the transportation.

 

Rome, 23 March 2018