The Romanian Competition Council has launched a market study aimed at identifying barriers that limit Romanian farmers’ access to the processing and commercialisation segments of the pork meat market. The initiative seeks to detect potential structural and regulatory shortcomings within the sector that may distort competition and ultimately harm consumers.
The study focuses on identifying administrative, regulatory, and financing-related constraints that hinder the development of small and very small farms and impede the entry or expansion of farmers and processors in the pork meat market. In addition, the Competition Council is examining the functioning of the industry more broadly, including its key characteristics, operational processes, certification requirements for the commercialisation of pork meat, and the degree of vertical integration among companies operating along the supply chain.
The launch of the study takes place against the backdrop of rising pork meat imports and declining exports. According to the President of the Competition Council, Bogdan Chirițoiu, the authority aims to identify the causes of the resulting trade deficit and the obstacles preventing Romanian farmers from accessing major retail chains. The analysis covers the entire value chain, from farming and slaughtering to processing and retail, with the objective of identifying measures capable of increasing product diversity on retail shelves and, ultimately, delivering more affordable prices for consumers.
In conducting the study, the Competition Council will request information from companies active in the sector as well as from relevant public institutions. The authority has also invited pork meat producers and processors, particularly small-scale farmers, along with other interested stakeholders, to submit data, information, and documents they consider relevant to the analysis.
Upon completion of the study, the Competition Council will issue recommendations aimed at addressing the problems identified. Should the analysis reveal infringements of competition law, the authority has indicated that it will initiate the necessary enforcement proceedings. The Council reiterated that its priority remains the identification and elimination of market dysfunctions and the remediation of any deficiencies affecting market access or commercial relationships among companies operating in the sector.