Brussels The European Commission has imposed a joint fine of €172,000 on Eurofield SAS and its former parent company Unanime Sport SAS, citing their failure to provide complete information during an ongoing antitrust investigation into the synthetic turf industry.

The investigation began in mid-2023, when the Commission requested documents related to potential anti-competitive practices. After comparing the companies’ submissions with materials obtained during surprise inspections, officials discovered key omissions. A second, legally binding request was issued in October 2023, but the response remained incomplete.

In November 2024, the Commission launched a formal inquiry into the procedural breach. Both companies later admitted fault and cooperated by submitting the missing data, which led to a 30% reduction in the final fine.

The penalty was issued under Article 23(1)(b) of Regulation No 1/2003, which allows the Commission to fine companies that fail to respond accurately to official requests for information. The fine represents 0.3% of the firms’ combined annual turnover.

This marks the first time the Commission has fined a company specifically for submitting incomplete information during an antitrust probe signaling a tougher stance on procedural compliance.

The broader investigation into the synthetic turf sector remains active, with further regulatory action possible.