A Dutch bar and café owners association is su ing brewers Heineken, Grolsch and Bavaria for compensation related to price fixing in the 90s.

The brewers were fined a combined E273 million by the EU Competition Commission earlier this year, after it found them guilty of running a cartel to increase prices.

Heineken was handed the lion's share of the fines with a E219.3 million bill.

Jeu Claes, chairman of Koninklijk Horeca Nederland, is seeking compensation for members affected by the cartel activity.

He told a Dutch newspaper: "We want them to re-examine their prices and make sure there is a clear, transparent structure."

The organisation is being encouraged to bring the case by competition commissioner Neelie Kroes, who ruled on the original case, saying that "the major beer suppliers colluded to up prices and to carve up the market among themselves".

The brewers are all appealing the original decision and have declined to comment on the case being brought by KHN.