BRUSSELS, June 1 (UPI) -- Atlanta's Coca-Cola dodged a legal bullet Tuesday when, instead of an expected European Union antitrust charge, both parties discussed a settlement.
The two sides have exchanged texts of draft agreements and the soft drinks giant has indicated it will address one of the European Commission's main concerns: the use of discounts for the whole range of its products, the Financial Times reported.
The commission, which handles the EU's antitrust issues, had planned to issue formal antitrust charges concerning Coca-Cola's German operations by Tuesday. But instead Mario Monti, the EU competition commissioner, is expected to review the case with his staff later this week.
Coca-Cola is anxious to avoid a deepening of its problems in the wake of a five-year EU investigation and various high-profile European product recalls.
