The Danish Competition and Consumer Authority (DCCA) has conducted unannounced inspections in the sports equipment industry, citing suspicions of potential anti-competitive agreements.
The inspections were carried out as part of a preliminary investigation into possible infringements of the Danish Competition Act.
According to the Authority, the purpose of these inspections is to collect material that may confirm or refute the existence of illegal agreements that could restrict competition. While the inspections signal a heightened level of scrutiny within the industry, they do not imply that a violation has definitively occurred.
The DCCA now has 40 working days to assess the material collected during the inspections. Should the Authority determine that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the Competition Act has been violated, the case will proceed to further investigation and potentially be submitted to the Danish Competition Council for formal action.
This enforcement activity also coincides with a change in the Authority’s communications policy. In line with practices followed by the European Commission and Nordic counterparts, the DCCA will now publicly disclose the occurrence of inspection visits without naming the companies involved. This shift is intended to promote greater transparency in the Authority’s enforcement efforts while preserving the presumption of innocence for the parties under investigation.
The sports equipment sector joins a growing list of industries under increased regulatory surveillance, as authorities across Europe continue to prioritize proactive enforcement of competition law to safeguard market integrity.
