EU fines Pierre Cardin and licensee for breaking competition rules

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Regulators in Brussels have fined Pierre Cardin and its largest licensee Ahlers a total of €5.7mn for breaking the EU’s antitrust rules by curbing cross-border sales of Pierre Cardin-branded clothing.

The European Commission found that the French fashion house and Ahlers entered into “anti-competitive” deals between 2008 and 2021 and carried out “concerted practices” to protect Ahlers from rivals in the European Economic Area, which comprises the EU and three other countries.

“Today, we have fined Pierre Cardin and its licensee Ahlers for restricting cross-border trade in clothing, in breach of competition rules,” said Margrethe Vestager, the EU’s executive vice-president in charge of competition policy.

“This behaviour illegally fragmented our single market. It prevented consumers from shopping around for a better deal and from benefiting from greater choice.”

This is a developing story