March 2024 – On 29 February 2024, the Serbian
Competition Authority (the "SCA") published two detailed
decisions involving two largest undertakings on the Serbian coffee
market. The first one relates to concerted practices that resulted
in a joint fine of approximately EUR 2 million, while the other one
relates to the conditional approval of the acquisition of Strauss
Adriatic by Atlantic Group. As per data released by the SCA, these
two enterprises collectively h approximately 70% to 80% of the
coffee market in Serbia, boasting a portfolio that includes the
most significant coffee brands in the region.
In 2021, the SCA conducted a sectorial analysis encompassing
various food markets, including a specific focus on the ground
coffee market. Following this, the SCA suspected and later
determined that Atlantic and Strauss had aligned and coordinated
their business strategies, including exchanging information on
pricing policies and future wholesale prices of ground
