The Romanian Competition Council has initiated an investigation into a possible anti-competitive agreement in the market for the commercialization and execution of road signaling works in Romania.
The authority suspects that three companies have coordinated their actions to divide public procurement procedures related to road signaling projects, primarily those organized by the National Company for Road Infrastructure Management (CNAIR) starting from 2023. This alleged collusion may have allowed these companies to secure contracts under less competitive conditions, leading to higher costs for clients.
As part of the investigation, unannounced inspections were carried out at the offices and/or operational sites of the companies Dumava Semnalizare SRL, Girod Semnalizare Rutieră SRL, and Gamida Euromark SRL, as well as at a supplier of road marking products, though this supplier is not part of the investigation. The investigation was triggered by a complaint from Vesta Investment SRL.
The inspections, authorized by the Bucharest Court of Appeal, aim to gather all necessary information and documents to clarify any potential anti-competitive practices. It is important to note that the inspections do not represent a pre-judgment regarding the companies’ guilt.
Should the Competition Council determine that the companies have violated competition rules, they could face fines of up to 10% of their turnover. However, companies cooperating with the competition authority under the leniency program may receive immunity from fines or significant reductions in penalties.
The Competition Council previously sanctioned four companies for bid-rigging in road signaling tenders, imposing a total fine of 3.1 million lei (651,000 USD).
