Duales System to Appeal EU Antitrust Ruling

Duales System Deutschland GmbH, the company that implements the Green Dot recycling program for packaging manufacturers and consumers will appeal a decision by the European Commission that it's abusing its dominant market position, according to Handelsblatt, a German news source.

The EC said Duales System's monopoly was preventing competitors from entering its market. With the ruling, the EC seeks to stop Duales System from collecting license fees on the Green Dot brand for waste-management services it does not provide.

Duales System chairman Wolfram Brück said that the EU's decision was violating an international agreement.

In the past, DSD has argued that it should be able to charge its fee merely for the use of its trademark. It has also said that the green dot's impact will be diluted unless it continues to be shown on a large group of products.

Last year Duales System won just under 1,600 new licensees. The total number of companies carrying the Green Dot on their packaging stood at 19,000 at the end of last year.