Following the final decision made by the judiciary, Auchan Romania has lost the lawsuit challenging a fine of 36.563 million lei (approximately 7.2 million euros) imposed by the Competition Council after an investigation concluded in 2018.

The fine was a result of Auchan, along with other retailers, allegedly coordinating their pricing policies.

At the end of 2021, Auchan Romania filed an appeal to the High Court of Cassation and Justice, but the request was definitively rejected last week.

In addition to Auchan Romania, the Competition Council also fined Carrefour Romania with 5.79 million euros, Romania Hypermarche (Cora) with 2.66 million euros, Quadrant-Amroq Beverages SRL (Pepsi bottler) with 1.28 million euros, Star Foods EM SRL (PepsiCo's Snacks division) with 843,599 euros, Strauss Romania SRL (owner of Doncafé and Amigo brands) with 383,236 euros, and Nelson Prod SRL with 9,252 euros.

Carrefour Romania acknowledged the wrongdoing, benefiting from a reduction in the fine. The sanctions were imposed as part of the investigation into price fixing between retailers Auchan, Cora, Carrefour, and their suppliers during the period 2010-2016.

The investigation resulted in penalties for both the violation of national rules and European competition rules concerning the fixing of resale prices on the shelf during promotions conducted by retailers.