On 19 November 2020 the Bulgarian Commission for Protection of
Competition ("CPC") fined Olineza
Premium OOD ("Olineza"), one of the
biggest Bulgarian food producers, BGN 1,479,040 (approx.
EUR 700,000) or 4 % of its 2019 turnover. The fine was
imposed for the "misleading use" of the word
"homemade" stated on the label of a mayonnaise product,
and comes after almost three years of administrative and court
proceedings.
Background / 2018 Decision and its repeal
The case was initiated before the CPC in 2017 upon request of
Olineza's competitors and concerns the alleged misleading use
of the "homemade" statement on the label of a mayonnaise
produced by Olineza.
Under Bulgarian competition rules, misleading advertising is a
form of unfair competition and could lead to a fine of up to
10 % of the turnover for the last financial year of the
infringing entity, with the fines ranging from up to 5 % of
the turnover for "mild" breaches, up to 8 % for not
very severe
