Closure of investigation of alleged anti-competitive practices by Volkswagen

By a decision of 8 June 2021, the Competition Council (“Council”) closed its investigation conducted since 2016 against certain companies belonging to the Volkswagen Group. There will be no further legal proceedings in the matter.

The investigation resulted from several complaints addressed to the Council by Luxembourg residents about their difficulties in purchasing cars distributed by the Volkswagen Group in Germany, via online trading platforms.

Following its investigation, the Council did not find any evidence to qualify the Volkswagen Group’s practices as anticompetitive. In particular, the Council affirmed that the selective distribution system established by the Volkswagen Group is compatible with competition law. Moreover, according to the Council, the rules established within the group regarding bonuses to distributors did not have the object or effect of limiting the sales of cars to buyers residing in countries other than Germany.