The EU Commission on Thursday said it had handed a total fine of €5.7 million ($6 million) to French fashion house Pierre Cardin and German clothing maker Ahlers for breaching EU antitrust rules.

The commission said the companies between 2008 and 2011 had anticompetitive agreements to shield Ahlers from competition in European countries where it held a Pierre Cardin license.

The move by the European Commission, which acts as the EU competition enforcer, followed dawn raids on Pierre Cardin in 2021 and charges imposed against the company last year.

“These illegal practices prevent retailers from being able to freely source products in member states with lower prices and artificially partition the internal market,” the commission said.

Pierre Cardin was fined for €2.2 million, while Ahlers has to pay €3.5 million.

The fine confirmed an earlier report by Reuters.