Italian Competition Authority Launches Probe into Meta's AI Integration with WhatsApp
On 30 July 2025, the Italian Competition Authority opened an investigation into Meta for allegedly abusing its dominant position by pre-installing its "Meta AI" chatbot on the WhatsApp app without users' consent. The authority argues that integrating the AI assistant prominently into the search bar could "impose" the service on users and hinder competition in the emerging AI assistant market. The probe, conducted in coordination with the European Commission ("Commission"), includes inspections at Meta's offices in Italy.
Belgian Authority Drops Wheat Flour Merger Probe
On 25 July 2025, the Belgian Competition Authority ("BCA") published its decision to close the investigation into Dossche Mills' proposed acquisition of competitor Ceres' artisanal bakery operations, following the termination of the transaction. Although the deal was not subject to mandatory notification under Belgian merger control rules, the BCA assessed the transaction under Article 101 TFEU, drawing authority from the Towercast judgment and related EU practice.
US Dairy Cooperatives Settle Milk Price-Fixing Case for USD 34.4 Million
On 28 July 2025, Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) and Select Milk Producers agreed to pay a combined USD 34.4 million to settle a price-fixing lawsuit filed by US dairy farmers. The settlement resolves claims that the cooperatives conspired to suppress payments to Grade A milk producers via coordinated pricing, non-pooling, and unlawful information sharing, allegedly in breach of the Sherman Act. The settlement includes antitrust training obligations, pricing restrictions, and educational tools for member farmers.
Commission Fines Alchem €489,000 for Role in Pharma Cartel
On 4 July 2025, the Commission fined Alchem International and its Hong Kong subsidiary a total of €489,000 for participating in a long-running cartel involving a pharmaceutical ingredient. For over 12 years, Alchem coordinated with others to fix minimum sales prices, allocate quotas, and exchange commercially sensitive information across the EEA. Unlike other cartel participants fined in 2023, Alchem did not settle, prompting a full investigation. The Commission collaborated with Swiss and Australian authorities during the investigation.
Commission Opens Formal Investigation for Providing Misleading Information
The Commission has opened a formal investigation to determine whether, during the merger investigation of the acquisition by KKR & Co. Inc. of NetCo, the parties provided incorrect or misleading information to the Commission. On 30 May 2024, the Commission unconditionally cleared KKR's acquisition of NetCo, by concluding that the transaction would not raise competition concerns in the EEA.
Sun Pharma Agrees to Pay USD 200 Million to Settle U.S. Generic Drug Price-Fixing Claims
On 24 July 2025, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries and its U.S. subsidiaries, SPII and Taro Pharmaceuticals, reached a USD 200 million settlement in the ongoing multidistrict litigation regarding generic drug price-fixing in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The settlement, which is subject to court approval, grants a full release from all antitrust claims raised by the end purchaser class and includes no admission of wrongdoing by the defendants. The plaintiffs had alleged that Sun Pharma and other manufacturers engaged in coordinated pricing practices in violation of U.S. antitrust laws.
Commission opens in-depth investigation in Downtown/UMG Transaction
The Commission has opened an in-depth investigation to assess the proposed acquisition of Downtown by UMG as it may allow UMG to reduce competition in the wholesale market for the distribution of recorded music in the EEA by acquiring commercially sensitive data of its rival record labels. The Commission is also preliminarily concerned that the transaction may allow UMG to reduce competition in the market for the supply of artist and label services by removing an important competitive force.
Polish Competition Authority presses charges in labor markets again
President of Polish Competition Authority has pressed charges against the owner of the Biedronka chain, as well as 32 transport companies and eight managers and business owners that could have been directly responsible for an anticompetitive arrangement. The claims include that transport companies agreed to take anticompetitive measures at specific distribution centres, and the owner of the Biedronka chain coordinated those efforts at various centres throughout Poland, simultaneously overseeing compliance with the arrangements by blocking drivers who wanted to change their employer from entering their premises.
Commission accepts commitments by Corning
According to the Commission's preliminary assessment, Corning may have abused its dominant position in the market for Alkali-AS Glass in breach of Article 102 TFEU by concluding exclusive supply agreements with OEMs of handheld electronic devices and with companies that process raw glass such as Alkali-AS Glass. This conduct may have excluded other Alkali-AS Glass producers from large segments of the relevant market. Accordingly, Corning has submitted commitments which are in turn accepted by the Commission as they address competition concerns over Corning's conclusion of allegedly anticompetitive exclusive agreements for the supply of Alkali-AS Glass.
Commission Suspects Gun-Jumping in Vivendi/Lagardère Transaction
The Commission has informed Vivendi of its preliminary view that the company breached the notification requirement and the 'standstill obligation' as well as the conditions and obligations attached to the Commission's decision of 9 June 2023 to clear the Vivendi/Lagardère transaction. According to public statement, the Commission's investigation revealed that Vivendi closely monitored and regularly intervened in the strategic decisions regarding the editorial line as well as covers and articles of Lagardère's magazines and newspapers. Vivendi also intervened in human resources decisions concerning the dismissals and recruitments of journalists for both publications.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
