site.btaCommission for Protection of Competition to Include Fruit and Vegetable Market in Food Sector Analysis

The Commission for Protection of Competition (CPC) is initiating preliminary proceedings to join the fruit and vegetable sector to the sectoral analysis of food, the regulator's press centre announced on Wednesday. The decision was made after a working meeting of the Commission's management with representatives of the Fruit and Vegetable Branch Chamber. The announcement states that the industry organization is insisting on a full and in-depth study of the market in order to establish the state of the competitive environment and, in the presence of possible distortions, to identify the necessary measures to improve it. 
 
The CPC specified that in implementation of the priorities of the national competition authority for 2026, the in-depth study on the sectoral analysis of food continues in three main areas - monitoring of the pricing policy and competitive behavior of market participants, including in the so-called traditional trade; analysis of the markets for production, processing and trade in milk and dairy products and subsequent control over concentrations in the sector; as well as research into the structure of retail trade in underdeveloped regions with low purchasing power. 
 
According to representatives of the fruits and vegetables sector, they are facing serious challenges, including difficult realization of Bulgarian production on the domestic market against the backdrop of strong competition both within the EU and on the world market, serious pressure from imports from third countries with lower standards compared to European ones, and a constant shortage of national and European funding. The CPC press centre added that during the meeting, specific problems in the market were highlighted, including the use of misleading markings to change the origin, price dumping, logistical barriers and limiting access to the market, concentration in purchasing and the risk of uncoordinated practices, low market transparency and transfer of commercial risk.  

Last week, the Chair of the CPC, Rosen Karadimov, stated during a parliamentary hearing that the sectoral analysis of food shows extremely severe structural distortions in the agricultural goods market in Bulgaria.