Four years after Greece's competition authority sanctioned Coca-Cola HBC Greece, the dispute remains unresolved and is now headed to the country's highest administrative court.
The case began on Nov. 3, 2022, when the Hellenic Competition Commission concluded that Coca-Cola HBC Greece had abused a dominant position in the Greek market for immediate-consumption cola and non-cola carbonated soft drinks. The regulator imposed a €10.3 million ($11.9 million) fine and ordered the company to implement corrective measures governing the management of beverage coolers, which remained in force until the end of 2024.
Coca-Cola HBC paid the fine in May 2023 and complied with the corrective measures while continuing to contest the regulator's findings. The company appealed the decision before the Administrative Court of Appeal, with the hearing eventually taking place on Dec. 12, 2024, after being postponed from its original September schedule.
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On Nov. 28, 2025, the Administrative Court of Appeal issued Decision No. 3713/2025, which was formally served on the company on Jan. 27, 2026. The court upheld Coca-Cola HBC's appeal, annulled the Competition Commission's original Decision No. 762/2021 and referred the case back to the regulator for reconsideration. Following the ruling, the €10.3 million fine previously paid by the company was refunded.
The Competition Commission subsequently challenged the appellate ruling, filing an appeal before the Council of State, Greece's supreme administrative court, on March 23, 2026. The appeal was served on Coca-Cola HBC Greece on April 8, and the company submitted its written response on July 8. As of early August 2026, no hearing date had been scheduled, leaving the final outcome of the long-running case pending.
