An Italian court has reduced the size of a billion-euro fine previously imposed on Amazon for alleged anti-competitive practices. The decision, made public on Tuesday, follows an appeal by the company and marks a significant development in one of Europe’s largest regulatory actions against a U.S. technology firm.
According to Reuters, the Lazio administrative court upheld the regulator’s conclusion that Amazon had abused its dominant market position in e-commerce logistics services. However, judges determined that Italy’s antitrust authority did not properly justify a 50 percent discretionary increase applied to the penalty when it was first set in 2021.
The initial sanction stood at 1.13 billion euros ($1.32 billion), but removing the contested surcharge would lower the figure to about 750 million euros, per Reuters calculations. The ruling itself did not state a final number for the revised fine.
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Italy’s competition watchdog originally accused Amazon of restricting rivals’ ability to compete in the logistics sector. At the time, the penalty was among the steepest handed to a U.S. tech company in Europe, underscoring the growing scrutiny of digital platforms.
In response, Amazon reiterated its stance. “We will continue to defend our position on the case. More than half of all annual sales on Amazon in Italy come from small and medium businesses (SMBs),” the company said. It added that around 20,000 Italian SMBs sell on the platform, including many that manage their own deliveries, while stressing that Amazon invests heavily to support their growth.
The court’s decision represents a partial victory for Amazon, but it also reaffirms the regulator’s central findings against the company, according to Reuters.
Source: Reuters
