EU Commission fines Oreo maker Mondelez 337.5 million euros for blocking cross-border sales

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Commission has imposed a fine of 337.5 million euros ($366 million) on food company Mondelez, the owner of Oreo cookies and other snack brands, for obstructing sales of its products between EU member states. Mondelez owns the Cadbury and Toblerone chocolate brands as well as Oreo and Chips Ahoy cookies, Triscuit crackers and Perfect Snacks nutrition bars. The Commission said Mondelez tried to avoid that cross-border trade because that could lead to lower prices. It said this harmed consumers who end up paying more for chocolate, biscuits and coffee. The commission said “such illegal practices allowed Mondelez to continue charging more for its own products, to the ultimate detriment of consumers in the EU.”