The Hungarian Competition Authority fines five suppliers of medical suture products for bid rigging and exempts one of them under the leniency provisions (Braun Medical / Chairman / Johnson&Johnson / Staplecare / SurgiCare / Variomedic)

The Competition Authority of Hungary (GVH) has in August 2016 imposed fines on five suppliers of medical suture products (needles and threads for medical/hospital use) for bid rigging in an amount of around EUR 770.000, exempting one of them under the leniency provisions. The infringement was established regarding tenders issued by four Hungarian hospitals. While the operative part of the decision shows limited-scope infringement based on the reasoning of the decision, it appears that activities of anticompetitive nature may have been larger and more widespread. Background Hospitals usually announce tenders for the purchasing of medical sutures (needle and thread) every year or second year. The announcements determine the specifications of required products, following the more or less