According to a statement from the AdC, "the Lisbon Court of Appeal (TRL) confirmed the conviction of Super Bock for violating competition rules, sanctioned by the AdC in July 2019, as well as the full amount of the fine of 24 million imposed on the company".

The ruling, of September 12th, "considered as unfounded the appeals presented by Super Bock and two company officials, against the decision of the Competition, Regulation and Supervision Court (TCRS) which had also fully confirmed the sanction applied by the AdC", states the regulator.

The TRL states that "considering all the circumstances analyzed, it appears to us that the fines applied are proportionate and appropriate, taking into account the seriousness of the conduct (vertical agreement between companies, fixing prices, with the aim of preventing, restricting or significantly distort competition), the size of the affected market (covering almost the entire national territory), the long duration of the infringement (11 years) and the resulting advantages for Super Bock,", reveals the AdC.

According to the regulator, the ruling also states that "despite the applicants' lack of prior administrative offenses in terms of competition infringements, the appeal's motivation highlights the devaluation of the infringing conduct and the self-disclaimer of those targeted, meaning that the sanction to be applied is capable of promoting awareness, not only social and community but also of the offenders themselves, deterring them from committing new illicit acts, as well as curbing the emergence of cartels or similar practices that restrict competition on the part of other operators, particularly in the beer market, as harmful to consumer rights".