International fruit importer Inter Weichert has lodged an appeal before the European Court of First Instance in Luxemburg requesting an annulment of a decision that found it in violation of antitrust rules.


The appeal, made on 2 January, calls on the court to annul the fine of EUR14m (US$19.2m) imposed by the European Commission to both Inter Weichert and Del Monte.


Inter Weichert is appealing against the Commission’s finding in October that it had participated in “concerted practices to coordinate price information on bananas” between 2000 and 2002.


The company said it believes that the Commission’s decision is based on a series of “errors of fact”, as wells as manifesting “errors of law”.


In the meantime, Inter Weichert will still be required to put up security for the fine and the company is currently discussing the allocation of this security with Del Monte, its former majority shareholder, as well as with Commission representatives.

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Inter Weichert said it is confident the decision will be reversed.

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