Croatian Competition Authority

UTPS: HIGH ADMINISTRATIVE COURT DISMISSES APPEAL OF RE-SELLER FRAGARIA* The High Administrative Court of the Republic of Croatia dismissed the appeal of the re-seller FRAGARIA and upheld the ruling of the Administrative Court in Zagreb of 16 December 2020 rejecting the claim for cancellation (...)

CCA clears the concentration between Končar-Ulaganja and construction line limited / Dalekovod* The concentration between the undertakings concerned will predominantly affect two relevant markets: the provision of services relating to design, construction and maintenance of substations and the (...)

Unfair Trading Practices – CCA imposes HRK 100,000 fine on Koka, Varaždin* The Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) opened ex officio infringement proceeding within the meaning of the Act on prohibition of unfair trading practices in the business-to-business food supply chain (UTPs Act) with the (...)

Press Publishing Market in 2020 indicates unceasing fall in paid circulation* The Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) carried out its regular market investigation into the Croatian press publishing market in 2020 with the view to defining the market shares of the relevant market participants. (...)

CCA APPROVES TWO MERGERS – PETROL D.D. / CRODUX DERIVATI DVA D.O.O. AND ISKRA D.O.O. / ELKA D.O.O.* By the implementation of the concentration concerned the acquiring company Petrol takes over the following businesses of Crodux Derivati Dva: the wholesale in petroleum products (petrol and (...)

CROATIA ADOPTS REVISED UNFAIR TRADING PRACTICES ACT 2021 FULLY HARMONIZED WITH EU DIRECTIVE 2019/633* For the purpose of bringing its legal framework in the area of unfair trading practices in business-to-business relations in the agricultural and food supply chain into compliance with the (...)

Croatia adopts revised Competition Act 2021* The Act on the Amendments to the Competition Act was published in Official Gazette 41/2021 on 16 April 2021 and enters into force on 24 April 2021. In compliance with the rule against retroactivity, which prohibits the imposition of ex post facto (...)

Labelling of food and agri products falls outside the scope of Croatian Competition Agency* Following a number of recent media reactions and allegations calling out the Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) to take necessary steps and measures regarding the alleged improper marking and labelling (...)

INFRINGEMENT DECISION OF THE CCA IN THE ORTHODONTISTS’ CARTEL CASE UPHELD BY THE SUPREME COURT* By its ruling of 2 March 2021 in the administrative dispute of the claimant – the Croatian Orthodontists Society – against the decision of the Croatian Competition Agency of 12 June 2014, and based on (...)

UTPS: Administrative Court in Osijek upholds CCA decision sanctioning Iločki Podrumi HRK 250,000 for imposition of unfair trading practices* On 10 February 2021 the Administrative Court in Osijek completely rejected the statement of claim of the re-seller Iločki podrumi d.d. in the (...)

Unfair trading practices: CCA imposes HRK 350,000 fine on Mandarin Oranges buyer Jasenka from Opuzen* The Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) opened ex officio infringement proceeding against the mandarin oranges buyer Jasenska within the meaning of the Act on prohibition of unfair trading (...)

UTPS: Administrative Court upholds CCA decision sanctioning NTL 450,000 kuna for imposition of unfair trading practices* The Administrative Court in Zagreb completely rejected the statement of claim of Narodni trgovački lanac d.o.o. (NTL) in the administrative dispute against the decision of (...)

CCA carried out a market inquiry in the on-line hotel booking sector in the republic of Croatia* The Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) has conducted a market inquiry into the provision of on-line hotel booking services in the Republic of Croatia. The market inquiry was commenced at the end of (...)

UTPS: Administrative court upholds CCA decision sanctioning Fragaria 350,000 kuna for imposition of unfair trading practices* On 16 December 2020 the Administrative Court in Zagreb completely rejected the statement of claim of the re-seller Fragaria d.o.o. in the administrative dispute against (...)

CCA accepts commitments offered by croatia osiguranje* The Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) closed the infringement proceeding against the undertaking Croatia osiguranje d.d. that was opened ex-officio regarding the commercial lease agreement that Croatia osiguranje concluded as a lessee, (...)

Unfair Trading Practices: CCA imposes HRK 85,000 fine on Jadranka trgovina* The Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) opened three ex officio infringement proceedings against Jadranka trgovina within the meaning of the Act on prohibition of unfair trading practices in the business-to-business food (...)

CCA OFFICIAL STATEMENT REGARDING THE PUBLISHING OF INFORMATION IN THE DIVESTMENT PROCEDURE OF OPTIMA SHARES BY HT* With respect to the queries of third parties, the Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) herewith informs the public that the divestment procedure involving the selling off the shares (...)

Unfair Trading Practices – CCA Imposes Hrk 65,000 Fine on Ribola* The Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) opened ex officio infringement proceeding within the meaning of the Act on prohibition of unfair trading practices in the business-to-business food supply chain (UTPs Act) with the view to (...)

Konzum Plus Remains the Leading Groceries Retailer, Schwarz Grupa on the Rise* The Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) carried out the Groceries retail market investigation, including food, beverages and sanitary products for households in Croatia for 2019. The total sample of 52 undertakings (...)

Annual Report of the Croatian Competition Agency for 2019* The Annual Report for 2019 outlines the CCA activities in the previous year and informs the political scene, the economic operators and all professional stakeholders about the operation of the CCA in 2019, ensuring the transparency (...)

Kaufland Hrvatska fined 1.1 million Kuna for imposing unfair trading practices* The Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) fined Kaufland Hrvatska k.d. (Kaufland) 1.1 million Kuna for a serious breach of the provisions of the Act on the prohibition of unfair trading practices in the (...)

Lack of standing to act against Hrvatske šume* Following a complaint by an anonymous complainant alleging discriminatory behaviour, in the market investigation that the Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) carried out within the case Class: 034-08/19-01/022, it investigated the contracts on the (...)

Vindija d.d. sanctioned HRK 284,000 for imposing unfair trading practices on milk suppliers* The Croatian Competition Agency found that the milk processor and buyer Vindija seriously violated the Act on the prohibition of unfair trading practices in the business-to-business food supply chain (...)

CCA clears concentration between marinas on the Adriatic coast* Venilia Investments is a part of CVC group – a special-purpose vehicle established exclusively for the purposes of this transaction. The implementation of the concentration concerned will produce effects in the provision of marine (...)

Slovenia Broadband and Tele2 merger approved* In the assessment procedure of the concentration between the undertakings Slovenia Broadband and Tele2 the CCA took into account all relevant facts, the results of the legal and economic analysis and the effects of the vertical concentration on (...)

Winemaker Iločki podrumi sanctioned HRK 250,000 for imposing unfair trading practices* The Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) opened an ex-officio infringement proceeding against the undertaking Iločki podrumi after having assessed the writing by a supplier of grapes which was communicated to the (...)

Price fixing cartel in the sewage treatment market – CCA imposes fines* The Croatian Competition Agency detected a prohibited agreement – cartel between five undertakings in the Šibenik region who fixed the price in the provision of pumping out, transportation and disposal of human waste from (...)

CCA approved Petrol/Crodux Plin LPG part of business concentration* By implementing the concentration Petrol will acquire the Crodux Plin LPG part of the business, including the undertaking Adria-Plin that operates in the LPG retail at the regional level, at one point of sale in Split-Dalmatia (...)

UTPs infringement proceeding against winemaker ILOČKI PODRUMI* The Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) opened the infringement proceeding against the undertaking Iločki podrumi after having examined the contracts concluded between the winemaker and its suppliers of grapes. The CCA notes here that (...)

CCA opens UTPs infringement proceeding against re-seller PEMO* The Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) opened the infringement proceeding against the undertaking PEMO from Dubrovnik after having detected one or more unclear and possibly contestable provisions in the contracts concluded between (...)

Croatian Taekwondo Federation did not abuse dominant position* The Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) found that the latter that was sent by the Croatian Taekwondo Federation (CTF) to all its members including the complainant – the undertaking LMK, potentially limited access only to a smaller (...)

CCA clears joint venture in sugar market created by Viro Grupa and Tvornica šećera Osijek* The concentration on the basis of which a joint venture is created in the sugar production and the wholesale business means the consolidation of the sugar market in Croatia as a result of full (...)

HŽ Infrastruktura – lack of standing to act* The Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) received an anonymous complaint regarding the alleged infringement of competition rules by the undertaking HŽ Infrastruktura d.o.o. within the meaning of Competition Act. The anonymous complainant basically stated (...)

CCA opens administrative proceeding against Coca-Cola Hrvatska* The Croatian Competition Agency opened an ex-officio infringement proceeding with the view to establishing whether the company Coca-Cola HBC Hrvatska d.o.o. from Zagreb had concluded a prohibited agreement and had been engaged in (...)

Lack of standing to act against Zagrebačka pivovara* On 1 June 2018 the Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) received an anonymous complaint regarding the alleged anti-competitive practices of Zagrebačka pivovara in the sense of abuse of the dominant position in the market, including the allegedly (...)

CCA opens UTPs infringement proceeding against re-seller PLODINE* The Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) opened the infringement proceeding against the undertaking Plodine from Rijeka after having detected one or more unclear and possibly contestable provisions in the contracts concluded (...)

VIPnet – no abuse of dominant position* The Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) found that VIPnet did not abuse a dominant position in the access to public telephone network at a fixed location for residential and/or non-residential customers, retail fixed broadband access and Pay television in (...)

Croatian association of forestry engineers must align its pricelists with competition rules* Based on the writing received from the Croatian Chamber of Forestry and Wood Technology Engineers the Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) issued its opinion on the proposed Ordinance on pricelists for (...)

Accepted Commitments by Duing and Fred Bobek* The Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) closed two proceedings for the establishment of prohibited agreements by accepting commitments proposed by the parties concerned – Duing d.o.o. from Viškovo and Fred Bobek d.o.o. from Vodice active in the sales (...)

The Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) found that the undertaking Grand Auto from Zagreb did not abuse its dominant position in the provision of repair and maintenance services for the car-makes Land Rover and Jaguar in the territory of the Republic of Croatia. The sole fact that Grand Auto has (...)

Gorenje Zagreb fined more than HRK 1.5 mil for resale price maintenance* The Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) imposed a fine on the undertaking Gorenje Zagreb amounting to HRK 1.557,000. The CCA found within the proceeding that Gorenje Zagreb entered into a prohibited agreement containing (...)

CCA accepts commitments by Flora VTC* The Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) accepted the commitments offered by Flora VTC in the course of the ex-officio proceeding that it opened against this undertaking in April 2016. The CCA established within the proceeding that on the basis of the Prices (...)

CCA accepted committments by Drezga d.o.o.* The Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) opened the ex-officio infringement proceeding against the undertaking Drezga d.o.o., an authorised distributor for Husqvarna Group products, based on the fact that the contracts this undertaking concluded with (...)

Ericsson Nikola Tesla: Initiative for abuse of dominance dismissed* The Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) dismissed the initiative for the initiation of the infringement proceedings for the establishment of abuse of a dominant position against the undertaking Ericsson Nikola Tesla (Ericsson (...)

The CCA opinion on public procurement rules for purchase of fixed telephony services* The Croatian Competition Agency communicated its opinion on public procurement rules relating to the purchase of fixed telephony services to the State Office for Central Public Procurement. This opinion has (...)

Decisions of the High Administrative Court* In the first case, by dismissing the claim of the claimants the High Administrative Court backed the CCA decision of 17 March 2015 establishing that the personal protection firms Sokol Marić, AKD-Zaštita, Securitas Hrvatska, Klemm Sigurnost, (...)

Proceeding and interim measure for undertaker Flora VTC* Within the proceeding against the undertaker Flora VTC from Virovitica the CCA will establish whether the undertaking in question has been engaged in abusive behaviour on the basis of the applicable Prices for Funeral Services in the (...)

Tisak reviews the commission rates in newspapers sales* The Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) accepted the committments of the undertaking Tisak with the view to eliminating possible anticompetitive effects in the commission sales of newspapers in the proceedings that has been carried out by (...)

Decisions of the High Administrative Court* The High Administrative Court confirmed the claim of ten undertakings in the marinas’ cartel that had been also established by the CCA on 17 March 2015. In the proceedings against the Adriatic International Club, Tehnomont, Marina Šibenik, Ilirija from (...)

CCA opinion on favourable energy contracts* The Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) gave its opinion to the request received by the Croatian Chamber of Trades and Crafts regarding the intention of entering into a framework agreement with HEP-Opskrba (HEP Electricity Supplier) on the basis of (...)

Frey Automobil takes over Peugeot Hrvatska and Citroen Hrvatska* The Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) deemed compatible the concentration on the basis of which Frey Automobil acquires control over the undertakings Peugeot Hrvatska and Citroen Hrvatska. The acquisition of Peugeot Hrvatska and (...)

No infringement of competition rules for Piaggio Hrvatska* Neither direct nor indirect evidence was found in the proceeding that was conducted against the undertaking Piaggio Hrvatska based on the alleged resale price maintenance provisions in the vertical agreements with its buyers. In other (...)

CCA establishes a cartel between betting shops* The undertakings engaged in sports betting Bolus, Favorit sportska kladionica, Germania Sport, Prva sportska kladionica and Super Sport agreed on the future bookmaker commission fee in the Republic of Croatia. The CCA fined the bookmakers 9.7 (...)

CCA opinion on the Decision of the City of Zagreb on the provision of taxi services* Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) communicated to the municipality of Zagreb – the City of Zagreb – its opinion on the Amendments to the Decision of the City of Zagreb on the provision of taxi services. It must (...)

Hrvatska pošta was not engaged in predatory conduct and therefore did not abuse its dominant position* The Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) found that Hrvatska pošta (HP) did not distort competition in the provision of postal services concerning items of correspondence (so called universal (...)

CCA orders Mirnovec pirotehnika to change lease and business cooperation agreements* Similar as in the recent proceeding that it carried out against the undertaking Orion in the same relevant market the Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) opened the ex officio proceeding following the initiative (...)

High Administrative Court dismisses the claim filed by the Croatian National Bank against the CCA decision* The High Administrative Court of the Republic of Croatia dismissed the claim filed by the Croatian National Bank (HNB) against the decision of the Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) on (...)

Croatian Association of Communications Agencies changes its Guidelines for successful pitching* In the infringement proceeding carried out against the Croatian Association of Communications Agencies – HURA, the CCA accepted the remedies proposed by this association of advertisers. Namely, HURA (...)

Agrokor complies with its commitment to divest its outlets under the decision of the CCA* The Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) accepted the second report of the trustee on the implementation of the structural divestment remedies and the conduct (behavioural) remedies in the concentration (...)

The limitation of the number of driving schools in unwelcome in the sense of competition rules* The Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) carried out a legal analysis of the legislative framework regulating the road safety and the criteria prescribed for setting an adequate number of driving (...)

CCA accepts committments made by Orion* The Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) accepted the commitments made by the undertaking Orion that will redress competition concerns and restore the normal competitive conditions in the resale of pyrotechnic products. Orion made the commitments on its own (...)

In the Town of Vodice local municipality decision contravenes with Competition Act* The Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) addressed in its opinion the behaviour of the Town of Vodice and its decision under which with the consent of the Major it exceptionally allows provision of advertising for (...)

Association of insurers and insurance companies did not breach competition law* In the proceedings the Croatian Competition Agency carried out against the association of insurance companies and 12 undertakings who are its members no evidence was found that the decision to revoke the power of (...)

CCA investigation in Android apps sales market* Following some press articles claiming that the Croatian software companies were forced to open branch offices or find partners abroad because Google did not allow them to register for direct sale of their apps via the Google Play store, the (...)

Gemicro committments accepted* In the proceeding against the undertaking Gemicro the Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) accepted the committments made by Gemicro for the removal of anticompetitive effects and restoration of competition in the provision of specialised IT support to leasing (...)

CCA CLEARS ELECTRONIC MEDIA MERGER BETWEEN SEDAM MORA AND ADRIATIC MEDIA* The CCA cleared in the first phase the acquisition of direct control of the undertaking Sedam Mora over the undertaking Adriatic Media given that its assessment proved that the concentration concerned would not produce (...)

Exclusionary effect of the new prescription drugs model* Based on the complaint made by the Croatian Employers’ Association – Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Association, Innovative Medicines Initiative and Generic Drugs Manufacturers Association, the Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) carried out a (...)

CCA clears concentration between Nautical Centre Prgin and County Radio Šibenk* The CCA cleared in the first phase the acquisition of sole control of the undertaking NCP Nautički centar Prgin – Remontno brodogradilište Šibenik (NCP Nautical Centre and Shipyard) over the undertaking Županijski radio (...)

Two cartel decisions by the CCA* The Croatian Competition Agency adopted two decisions on prohibited horizontal agreements, first, in the provision of personal protection services involving seven undertakings and second, in the provision of berth and mooring services, where nine undertakings (...)

Revised Regulation on setting fines* The Government of the Republic of Croatia adopted a revised Regulation on the method of setting fines in its session of 26 February 2015. This Regulation is based on the proposal made by the Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) and shall enter into force on (...)

CCA finds a prohibited vertical agreement between Kraš and NTL* The Croatian Competition Agency established in the course of the proceeding that the agreement between the undertakings Kraš and Narodni trgovački lanac (NTL), that was in force for almost four years, from October 2014 to July 2014, (...)

The owner of Novi list loses the court challenge* The action of the undertaking Andre d.o.o. from Pula was dismissed in its entirety by the High Administrative Court of the Republic of Croatia. Namely, the High Administrative Court upheld the decision of the Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) (...)

Carlsberg and KTC fined for prohibited vertical agreement* The Croatian Competition Agency declared the agreements entered into by Carlsberg Croatia and KTC Križevci null and void and imposed symbolic sanctions for the infringement of Competition Act to the undertakings concerned in total (...)

Approved merger between Plava laguna and Istraturist* The Croatian Competition Agency approved the implementation of the proposed concentration between the undertakings Plava laguna and Istraturist. The concentration in question will produce effects in the following relevant markets: guest (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the Croatian Competition Agency . Fines for Dukat and Konzum, Kutjevo and KTC* The Croatian Competition Agency declared the agreements entered into by Dukat and Konzum, and Kutjevo and KTC, null and void. At the same time it imposed (...)

Press Release published on the official website of the Croatian Competition Agency . Open Proceeding and Interim Measure for Peugeot Hrvatska* In the proceeding initiated against Peugeot Hrvatska the CCA will establish whether the criteria for joining the authorised repairers’ network had (...)

Croatian Competition Agency dismisses initiatives to start formal proceedings against TDR from JTI and BAT* Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) dismissed initiative received from Japan Tobacco International (JTI) Zagreb together with initiative received from BAT Hrvatska, Zagreb (BAT) by which (...)

B.net’s complaint rejected* The complaint made by the undertaking B.net Hrvatska d.o.o. against the undertaking Hrvatski Telekom d.d. concerning the alleged abuse of a dominant position in the leased lines market and in the pay TV service market (IPTV service) was rejected by the Croatian (...)