Spain’s National Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC) has initiated new sanctioning proceedings against Apple and Amazon for failing to comply in a timely manner with a cease-and-desist order issued in July 2023.
The original antitrust ruling fined both tech giants a combined total of 194 million euros after finding that their contractual agreements contained anti-competitive clauses regulating Amazon’s role as an authorized reseller of Apple products in Spain. According to the regulator, these contractual conditions unfairly restricted the number of independent resellers allowed to offer Apple products on Amazon’s Spanish marketplace. They also limited advertising spaces available for competing brands and prevented Amazon from targeting marketing campaigns toward Apple buyers to introduce alternative products.
Alongside the monetary penalties, the 2023 resolution required Apple and Amazon to immediately eliminate the illegal practices. However, the regulatory body found that the companies maintained the restrictions until May 2025, acting only after receiving a formal non-compliance proposal from the Directorate of Competition. Consequently, the CNMC Council declared in October 2025 that both companies had breached the original decision.
Following the court’s refusal to grant the interim suspension requested by Apple and Amazon, the Council directed the Competition Directorate to launch formal sanctioning proceedings. The regulator clarified that opening this proceeding does not prejudge the final outcome. A maximum period of three months has now been established for the formal investigation and resolution.
Meanwhile, both the initial 2023 ruling and the 2025 non-compliance decision remain under appeal before the National High Court (Audiencia Nacional) pending a final verdict.