The Danish Competition and Consumer Authority (DCCA) has carried out unannounced inspections in the maritime freight transport industry amid suspicions that a dominant market player may have abused its position.
Stefan Kobbernagel, Head of Office at the DCCA, emphasized that companies holding a dominant position have a special responsibility not to harm effective competition. “We have a presumption that a dominant company may not be complying with the rules, potentially harming customers and smaller competitors,” he stated.
The inspections were conducted to obtain material relevant to a possible violation of competition rules. The Authority will now review the collected evidence, focusing on whether the company in question has abused its market dominance.
The DCCA stressed that the inspections themselves do not imply that any breach of the Competition Act has occurred. Their primary purpose is to gather evidence to determine whether further proceedings are warranted. The Authority has 40 working days to assess the materials from the inspections. If evidence of a potential violation is identified, the case may be submitted to the Competition Council for further action.
Should the Competition Council find that a violation has occurred, the DCCA will publish the names of the companies involved and provide details regarding the nature of the infringement.
For legal reasons and to ensure the security of the companies involved, the Authority will not provide additional information about the ongoing investigation but can offer general guidance on processes related to potential breaches of the Competition Act.