MADRID, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Apple AAPL.O and Amazon AMZN.O took too long to remove anti-competitive clauses they were ordered to immediately remove from contracts outlining Amazon's conditions as an Apple distributor, Spain's competition regulator ruled on Wednesday.
The CNMC regulator had slapped fines totalling 194 million euros ($228 million) on the two companies in July 2023 over those clauses - which it said unfairly restricted the number of Apple resellers on Amazon's website in Spain - and ordered their immediate removal. The latest finding of infringement could attract a fresh fine.
The regulator had also alleged at the time that the clauses limited the spaces on Amazon's Spanish website where Apple competitors' products could be advertised and prevented Amazon from running marketing campaigns offering Apple customers competing products from other brands.
Last October, the watchdog proposed opening a new probe over the companies' failure to take action under the cease-and-desist order until May 2025 when they removed the clauses.
At the time, the regulator said there were indications of an infringement as a result of non-compliance.
The companies appealed the CNMC's 2023 decision before the country's High Court and the original fine has been suspended pending judgement.
($1 = 0.8493 euros)
(Reporting by David Latona; Editing by Charlie Devereux and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
((david.latona@thomsonreuters.com; +34 918 35 68 13;))
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