A legal battle is brewing in the mineral water sector in France. Nestlé's water business has been sued by local competitor Bonneval Emergence on charges of "unfair competition." The news was reported by the newspaper Le Monde, which reports the filing of the lawsuit with the Nanterre Economic Activities Court. According to Bonneval Emergence, which operates under the Bonneval Waters brand, Nestlé products unduly benefited from the ability to be marketed as "natural mineral waters." This advantage, deemed "illegal," has created, according to the prosecution, a serious competitive imbalance in the French and other markets.
In the appeal, the group requests the immediate suspension of sales of Nestlé Waters' main brands, including Perrier, Vittel, and Contrex, as well as the recall of bottles already placed on the market. It also imposes a penalty of one million euros for each day of delay in implementing the requested measures. The total compensation requested amounts to 1,6 billion euros.
Bonneval Emergence confirmed the legal action but declined to comment further. The group's portfolio includes several bottled mineral water brands, including Bonneval, Roche Claire, and Joséphine. Nestlé Waters France firmly rejected the allegations, calling the appeal "totally unfounded." "We will firmly defend our position," a spokesperson stated, reiterating that the food safety of the group's natural mineral waters "has always been guaranteed and confirmed by the authorities."
The new lawsuit comes amid an already complex situation for Nestlé. In early December, several batches of Perrier were blocked by local authorities following bacteriological analyses of one of the Vergèze wells. A Radio France investigation also reported the temporary closure of two wells at the same site due to new contamination. Only in mid-November, however, did a French court authorize Nestlé to continue marketing Perrier as "natural mineral water," rejecting an appeal by the consumer association UFC Que-Choisir. Over the past 18 months, the group has repeatedly come under scrutiny for its management of contamination treatments, leading to interventions by authorities and searches of Nestlé's French facilities.
