Amazon has not been found to have breached competition law in Germany, according to recent reports. The German Federal Court of Justice, in April 2024, underscored Amazon's influence by confirming the Bundeskartellamt's classification of the company as having 'paramount significance for competition across markets.' This ruling subjects Amazon to heightened scrutiny under Germany's competition laws.
Back in November 2022, the Bundeskartellamt extended its investigation into Amazon under Section 19a of the German Competition Act. This was part of a broader effort to ensure that Amazon's business practices, particularly its pricing mechanisms, align with new regulations intended for larger digital platforms. Despite these ongoing investigations, Reuters has noted that there remain no specific findings regarding Amazon's pricing mechanisms breaching competition laws.
These developments reflect the ongoing watchful stance of regulators towards Amazon as it navigates a regulatory landscape that is becoming increasingly stringent, especially for major digital corporations. The focus remains on ensuring compliance with amended competition laws without any recent findings against Amazon's practices in Germany.