Coke loses

last updated 8 January 2015

Brussels

The European Union settled its antitrust case against Coca-Cola this week when the soft drink giant agreed to change its sales practices. Coke said it would stop contracting exclusivity agreements with stores and restaurants, and would no longer require that only Coca-Cola products be sold in Coke-branded store refrigerators. Both practices are common in the U.S., and they have helped the Atlanta-based company gain more than 50 percent of the soft drink market in Europe. E.U. Competition Commissioner Mario Monti said Europeans would now be able to choose sodas “on the basis of price and personal preferences, rather than pick up a Coca-Cola product because it’s the only one.”