DGKV successfully represented MIELE CENTER MAX GROUP (a former major distributor of Miele products in Bulgaria) with respect to antitrust proceedings initiated on the basis of a complaint filed by MIELE CENTER MAX GROUP before the Commission on Protection of the Competition (“CPC”) against Miele Bulgaria, the Bulgarian subsidiary of Miele economic group.

The CPC upheld MIELE CENTER MAX GROUP claims that Miele Bulgaria has infringed the Bulgarian competition law by introducing a price fixing mechanism by virtue of which it imposes and requires retailers of Miele home appliance to apply retail prices determined by Miele Bulgaria.

The CPC imposed monetary sanction in an amount of BGN 1,609,078 for an infringement of Art. 15 of the Bulgarian Protection of the Competition Act and of Art. 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. The penalty amounts to 10% of the turnover of the defendant for the preceding financial year, and this is the maximum amount that can be imposed for violation of the antitrust rules.

The decision could be appealed by Miele Bulgaria before Administrative Court Sofia-district.

DGKV's partners Angel Ganev and Nikolai Gouginski steered the legal team working on the case. The team also included senior associates Vladislav Antonov and Dessislava Iordanova and associate Anna-Maria Atanasova.