Romania’s Competition Council has fined 27 companies a total of 14.73 million lei, equivalent to approximately €2.9 million, for participating in an anticompetitive agreement on the market for vehicle maintenance and repair services.
The sanctions target 25 car repair workshops and two insurance companies found to have coordinated their commercial behaviour in dealings related to repair services in Romania. According to the authority, 25 of the sanctioned companies are current or former members of the authorised service network of Auto Italia Impex SRL and are active in the maintenance and repair of motor vehicles.
Following a detailed investigation, the Competition Council concluded that the companies had aligned key elements of their commercial conduct, including labour rates, the prices of spare parts and other contractual conditions applied in their relationships with certain insurers. This coordination effectively eliminated competition between the repairers, distorting market conditions to the detriment of customers and insurers alike.
The authority found that the arrangement was reinforced by the involvement of insurance companies Gothaer Asigurări-Reasigurări SA, now operating as Allianz-Țiriac Unit Asigurări SA, and Uniqa Asigurări SA. Through their actions, the insurers were found to have supported and facilitated the coordinated behaviour of the repair shops. As a result, the two insurers were fined a combined 6.7 million lei, or around €1.3 million, with the remainder of the total fines imposed on the participating repairers.
The investigation was launched after one of the companies involved submitted a leniency application, triggering the Competition Council’s inquiry. In return for full cooperation under Romania’s leniency programme, the applicant received immunity from fines. The leniency policy allows the authority to grant favourable treatment to companies involved in cartel-type arrangements that assist in uncovering and proving anticompetitive conduct.
All 27 sanctioned companies admitted their involvement in the infringement, a factor that led to reductions in the level of fines imposed. The Competition Council’s decisions are immediately enforceable, and the fines constitute revenue for the state budget. The National Agency for Fiscal Administration is responsible for enforcing the sanctions and collecting the amounts due.