Greece: The Hellenic Competition Commission launches sector inquiry into e-commerce

The Hellenic Competition Commission (HCC) decided on 11 March 2020 to initiate a sector inquiry into e-commerce. The sector inquiry is intended to assist the HCC in determining if and to what degree competition in the digital environment is successful, as well as to identify any activities that might impair consumer welfare, such as: - The imposition of specific vertical barriers that may obstruct market entry or the development of innovative shops (e.g., the imposition of minimum resale prices, MFN clauses, a general prohibition on online sales, or a prohibition on online price comparison websites); - The employment of shared algorithms by rivals or distinct interacting algorithms to facilitate the formation and execution of cartels; - The potential for powerful platforms to emerge with a dominating position in the relevant industry or ecosystem, which might then engage in exclusionary actions against rivals or abuse customers via the use of exorbitant pricing policies. The sector inquiry will focus primarily on the following sectors: - Clothing and footwear (with a focus on the relevant sportswear and footwear market); - Electrical and electronic devices; - Books; - Travel ticket mediation services; - Event ticket mediation services; - Catering service mediation services; - Finding and renting accommodation; - E-pharmacies (with emphasis on nutritional supplements and para-pharmaceutical products).