European Commission Fines On Glovo and Delivery Hero For €329M Over Cartel Allegations

The two food delivery giants admitted to breaking EU competition laws between 2018 and 2022. The Commission says the illegal coordination started after Delivery Hero bought a small stake in Glovo.

Although owning shares isn’t illegal, the Commission found that the two companies secretly agreed on things like dividing up markets, coordinating expansion plans, and not hiring each other’s workers—a “no-poach” deal.

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EU Competition Commissioner Teresa Ribera said the case was serious and historic. “It’s the first time a labour market cartel has been punished under EU rules,” she noted, adding that the two companies had no reason to improve prices or service because of this secret agreement.

“Today, we fined Delivery Hero and Glovo a total of €329 million for participating in a cartel in the online food delivery sector. The parties agreed not to poach each other’s employees, exchanged insight information, and allocated geographic markets within the EEA. This case is important because these practices were facilitated through an anticompetitive use of Delivery Hero’s minority stake in Glovo. It is also the first time the Commission is sanctioning a no-poach agreement, where companies stop competing for the best talent and reduce opportunities for workers,” added Minister Ribera.

For four years, Glovo and Delivery Hero allegedly ran a secret cartel using private meetings—sometimes in luxury chalets—and detailed WhatsApp messages.

Through these exchanges, they shared confidential information like pricing and sales plans, avoided competing in each other’s markets, and aligned their business strategies across the European Economic Area (which includes all EU countries plus Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein).

In 2022, Glovo officially became a subsidiary of Delivery Hero, following a gradual acquisition that began in 2018.

The European Commission fined Delivery Hero €223 million and Glovo €105 million, totaling €329 million. Both companies admitted guilt and cooperated leading to reduced penalties.

Minister Ribera stressed the implications of this ruling for future enforcement: “We have been clear and will continue to be clear: the European Commission will address all practices that may affect consumer rights.”

The case began in 2022 after surprise inspections triggered by whistleblowers and national competition authorities. Now completed, the investigation is considered a major step in European regulation. It’s the first time the EU has fined a company for both a "no-poach" deal and a cartel linked to a merger in the tech-driven labour market.

For Glovo, the €105 million penalty hits hard—especially as the company is only now starting to shift from using freelancers to employing delivery workers directly. The fine damages both its finances and reputation.

This ruling could set a strong precedent. Startups across Europe are paying close attention, as it may signal tighter scrutiny ahead for digital platforms working within the EU.

About Glovo

Glovo, founded in 2015 by Oscar Pierre in Barcelona, is already facing legal issues for using self-employed couriers. Spain’s Labour Inspection has fined the company over €200 million for misclassifying its workers. This new antitrust case adds to its legal troubles.