Supreme Constitutional Court upholds fines against Pan-Cyprian Organization of Cattle Farmers

The Supreme Constitutional Court of Cyprus has dismissed an appeal filed by the Pan-Cyprian Organization of Cattle Farmers (POA) against a decision confirming fines totaling 2.1 million euros imposed by the Commission for the Protection of Competition (CPC). The penalties were issued for various violations of competition law, including the imposition of exclusive supply contracts and standard pricing terms for raw cow milk. Specifically, the fines comprised 600,000 euros for price-fixing terms, 600,000 euros for exclusivity and non-compete clauses, 100,000 euros for the Smooth Milk Production measure, and 800,000 euros for the imposition of excessive and unfair prices. While some sources reference a total of 1.7 million euros due to older records, the court confirmed the 2.1 million euro figure. The POA had challenged the decision based on alleged bias of the CPC's former president and criticized the commission for acting as both prosecutor and judge. The Court rejected these claims, ruling that the organization's arguments were based on subjective interpretations of events. The ruling effectively upholds the administrative penalties established by the competition authorities.