Coca-Cola, which controls about half of the EU's soft drinks market, has agreed to a Commission ruling that retailers, cafés & restaurants across the EU must remain free to sell the carbonated soft drinks of their choice. Nor will Coke's customers be obliged to buy the firm's less popular brands such as Sprite or Vanilla Coke alongside the top brands, such as regular Coke & Fanta Orange. Coca-Cola itself will be banned from offering rebates to suppliers who agree to buy its less popular brands or reserve their shelf space exclusively for the Coke family. Outlets will be free to use a fifth of their Coca-Cola coolers for any product they like, as long as they have no other chilled beverage capacity & Coke has provided its cooler free of charge. The new rules will last until 31 December 2010 & Coke could be fined 10% of its worldwide turnover if found shirking its commitment.
