The Romanian Competition Council has issued fines totaling 52.09 million lei (approximately 10.22 million euros) to Agrana Sales & Marketing GmbH, Agrana România SRL, and Lucsor Impex SRL following an investigation into anti-competitive practices within the national sugar market.
The antitrust authority determined that the involved companies engaged in a price-fixing agreement designed to restrict competition in Romania. Specifically, the investigation revealed that the businesses coordinated to fix every element constituting the selling price of Lucsor Impex products, including its commercial margin—a component that legally must be determined independently by every market participant. Through this mechanism, the retail prices set by Lucsor Impex for its downstream customers aligned directly with the pricing trends established by Agrana. The primary objective of this cartel was to artificially inflate or maintain sugar prices in Romania above the levels that would naturally occur under normal market conditions.
Within the framework of the sanctions, Agrana Sales & Marketing GmbH and Agrana România SRL were treated as a single economic unit and received a combined fine of 42.18 million lei. Lucsor Impex SRL was fined 9.91 million lei. The Competition Council noted that both Agrana entities formally acknowledged their violation of competition law during the administrative proceedings, which resulted in a reduced fine for the group.
In contrast, the investigation into a third target, Pfeifer & Langen Romania SRL, was formally closed without administrative measures or penalties. The authority concluded that the evidence gathered regarding Pfeifer & Langen Romania SRL was insufficient to establish a legal infringement.
Romanian competition legislation strictly prohibits horizontal and vertical agreements, as well as concerted practices, that prevent, restrict, or distort market dynamics, particularly those involving direct or indirect price-fixing or trading conditions. The decisions rendered by the Competition Council are immediately enforceable, with all collected fines directed into the national state budget. Enforcement and collection operations will be carried out by the National Agency for Fiscal Administration (ANAF). The public version of the official decision will be made available on the regulator’s website once confidential business information is redacted.