site.btaCompetition Violation Reports Up Six-fold in May-July 2025, Y/Y - Competition Protection Commission Head

Reports of suspected competition violations have increased six-fold year-on-year over the past month and a half, Commission for Protection of Competition Chair Rosen Karadimov told Bulgarian National Television on Saturday. He noted that 121 reports were filed with the Commission during the period from the end of May to mid-July, compared to 21 in the same period of 2024. “This is a clear sign of growing public trust in the Commission’s work and its increased public visibility,” Karadimov said, as quoted by the Commission for Protection of Competition press office.

The head of the anti-trust regulator stressed that the Commission must act as a guarantor of fair market rules for all participants. He added that one of the key deficits of Bulgaria’s post-transition period had been precisely the sense that fair play was missing, and the Commission’s role was to restore those rules across the marketplace.

The Commission has launched a sector analysis of the market for essential food products, including dairy products. The inquiry covers 46 retail chains operating 460 outlets across 30 localities. The analysis traces the entire supply chain from production to final sale and aims to determine whether the price increases recorded by the National Revenue Agency and the Consumer Protection Commission are the result of anti-competitive practices.

If evidence of cartel agreements or abuse of dominant position is found, the Commission will open separate proceedings. It has already requested detailed information from the retail chains and has established a dedicated secure environment for handling sensitive data, including rooms equipped with video surveillance.

As part of the food sector analysis, the Commission also requested from the National Statistical Institute data submitted to the national statistics by retail chains, but the request was denied. Karadimov described the case as a typical example of poor coordination between State institutions. This, he noted, was precisely why cooperation agreements had been signed between the Commission, the Consumer Protection Commission and the National Revenue Agency, as well as with the Communications Regulation Commission. He added that full coordination and cooperation between the regulators was now in place.

The second sectoral analysis, covering the pharmaceuticals market, aims to identify obstacles to access to medicinal products and potential anti-competitive practices. Nearly 36% of household income is spent on medicinal produccts, Karadimov also said. Meetings with industry organisations have already been held and positions are being prepared. Sector analyses are also planned for the telecommunications and financial sectors.

Karadimov further emphasised that the Commission is not responsible for inflation, but preliminary data from the sectoral analyses so far indicate that euro adoption is not the cause of rising prices. The Commission’s role is not only sanctioning, but also advocacy - including by issuing opinions on draft legislation. “The Commission has the power to issue opinions on all draft and existing legislation. Very soon, we will issue positions on provisions and minor legislative amendments that create distortions,” Karadimov explained.

The Commission’s Public Council, which includes nationally representive employer organisations, the two national trade unions and the consumer association, is a key first step towards effective public dialogue and greater transparency in the work of the antitrust authority, the statement added.