The Croatian Competition Agency (AZTN) has launched a formal antitrust proceeding against home appliance supplier Haier Croatia d.o.o. over suspected anti-competitive practices. In an unprecedented move, the antitrust authority executed an unannounced search of Haier’s business premises in coordination with regulatory counterparts from neighboring Slovenia.
The investigation centers on allegations that Candy Hoover (Slovenia) and Haier (Croatia) engaged in resale price maintenance by restricting their distributors’ ability to independently set retail prices. To secure potential evidence, the AZTN obtained an order from the High Administrative Court of the Republic of Croatia, carrying out a surprise dawn raid at Haier’s Zagreb offices between June 16 and June 19, 2026.
This operation marks a historic milestone for Croatian competition enforcement. It is the first time the AZTN has orchestrated a simultaneous, cross-border search with another European Union member state, utilizing the European Competition Network (ECN) framework under Council Regulation (EC) No. 1/2003. By integrating their efforts, the Croatian and Slovenian watchdogs were able to raid suspected entities in both territories at the exact same moment.
The AZTN emphasized that the joint cross-border raid is purely an evidentiary step and does not predetermine the final outcome of the case. A formal decision on whether Haier unlawfully distorted market competition will be reached only after a comprehensive evaluation of the seized files.
