The Hellenic Competition Commission (HCC) carried out unannounced inspections at the premises of several undertakings operating in the supply, processing, standardization, and marketing of table olives, as well as an industry association. The dawn raids form part of an ex-officio investigation into potential anti-competitive agreements and concerted practices aimed at price-fixing and harmonizing transaction terms across the sector.
The investigation focuses on suspected infringements of Article 1 of the Greek Competition Act (Law 3959/2011) and Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). The regulator emphasized that conducting unannounced inspections does not imply that the targeted companies or trade associations are guilty of anti-competitive conduct, nor does it prejudge the ultimate outcome of the ongoing proceeding.
This enforcement action highlights the HCC’s deliberate prioritization of the agri-food supply chain. Amid persistent inflationary pressures, rising living costs for Greek consumers, global supply chain disruptions, geopolitical instability, and climate challenges, the authority has actively deployed its regulatory toolkit to scrutinize food markets. The regulator uses market mapping studies, sector inquiries, merger control, and direct antitrust enforcement to address market distortions in basic food categories.
Under Greek and EU competition law, secret cartel arrangements like price coordination, production limits, or market sharing carry severe administrative fines and potential criminal liability. Offending companies also face a mandatory three-year ban from participating in public tenders and concession contracts.
To uncover illegal agreements, the authority maintains a whistleblowing portal and a leniency program. The leniency scheme offers full immunity or substantial reductions in administrative fines, protection from criminal prosecution, and exemption from public procurement bans for entities or individuals that voluntarily disclose cartel participation and cooperate with investigators.