Amazon filed suit in the EU’s General Court on Tuesday to combine investigations of the tech giant by the EU Commission and the Italian Competition Authority (ICA).
The ICA, which launched its case in April 2019, and the Commission both allege that Amazon favors its own retail brands and brands that use Amazon fulfillment services with superior promotion. If the allegations are accurate, Amazon’s favoritism could breach Article 102 of the Treaty of the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) which prohibits abuse of a “dominant position” in the EU market.
The Commission addressed the ICA’s case in a November press release announcing its own investigation:
This investigation will cover the European Economic Area, with the exception of Italy. The Italian Competition Authority started to investigate partially similar converns last year, with a particular focus on the Italian market. The commission will continue the close cooperation with the Italian Competition Authority throughout the investigation.
In a statement, Amazon claimed that the Commission and national competition authorities, like the ICA, “cannot investigate the same topic.” Amazon also believes a joint investigation could be more efficient than separate endeavors.