The Italian Competition Authority fines ferry operator €3.7 million for excessive pricing (Caronte & Tourist)

The Italian Competition Authority (the “ICA”) fined ferry operator Caronte & Tourist (“C&T”) €3.7 million for having charged excessive prices on a ferry transportation route between Sicily and Calabria between 2017 and 2019 (the “Decision”). [1] I. The investigation In July 2020, the ICA opened proceedings [2] to establish whether C&T’s prices infringed Italian competition rules, [3] after its preliminary investigation revealed that C&T had charged the highest fees compared to rivals operating on the same route. [4] C&T is one of three ferry companies that operate across five routes on the Strait of Messina—all of which provide a mix of passenger, vehicle and commercial services. [5] C&T is the only company offering passenger and vehicle transport on the