CARTELS: AMO SR conducted an unannounced inspection at an undertaking operating in the sector of selling and repairing robotized workplaces

The Antimonopoly Office of the Slovak Republic, the Division of Cartels, (hereafter “the Office”) has confirmed that on 6 April 2022 it conducted an unannounced inspection at the business premises of an undertaking operating in the sector of selling and repairing robotized workplaces.

 

The Office conducted the inspection on the basis of a reasonable suspicion that an agreement restricting competition might have been concluded between the undertaking operating in the given sector and other three undertakings, namely in connection with the participation and the submission of bids in a public procurement, resp. in a tender conducted outside the Public Procurement Act, for the supply of goods.

 

As this could represent a horizontal agreement between direct competitors, which is one of the most serious infringements of competition rules and considered as a hard-core cartel, if such an agreement is proven, undertakings risk a fine of up to 10 % of turnover for a previous closed accounting period.

The fact that the Office conducted an inspection does not mean that the entity concerned has infringed competition rules, nor does it prejudge the conclusions of investigation.

 

At this stage, the Office does not provide further information on the investigation.