The Amsterdam District Court is set to award Macedonian Thrace Brewery (MTB) around £72m minimum in damages, which is payable by Dutch manufacturing giant Heineken.

The legal case was from a complaint that Athenian Brewery, a subsidiary of Heineken, abused its dominant position in the Greek beer market for at least 16 years.

The brewery stated that the global beer giant excluded local competitors, including MTB, creating unfair competition within the category.

The decision was ruled by the Greek Competition Authority (HCC), which estimated that the principal damages suffered by MTB amount to at least £37m.

Heineken will also be required to pay an additional statutory interest in line with the court’s judgement, which will bring the full amount to over £72m.

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Demetri Chriss, director at MTB said: “This judgement sends a strong message to Heineken that the Dutch courts will not shy away from awarding substantial damages in abuse of dominance cases.

“To determine damages caused by an infringement of 16 years is no easy task, and we are delighted that the court has definitively rejected Heineken’s attempt to avoid being held accountable for its illegal activities in Greece.

“The decisions of the Amsterdam District Court show that small and medium businesses can fight back and prevail against seemingly invincible multinationals.”

The court will proceed with a final judgement following the Dutch Supreme Court’s decision on the appeal filed by AB and Heineken, which is expected later this month.