The Danish Competition and Consumer Authority has carried out unannounced inspections in the passenger transport industry amid suspicions of potential anti-competitive behavior.
Stefan Kobbernagel, Head of Office at the Authority, explained that the inspections were prompted by concerns that competitors may have coordinated bids in connection with a tender. “If this turns out to be the case, it can obviously be quite serious and damaging,” he said.
During the inspections, the Authority obtained material that will now be reviewed for evidence of bid coordination or other illegal exchanges of information between companies. Coordinated bidding occurs when competitors agree on how to submit offers rather than competing to provide the best bid, undermining fair competition.
The Authority emphasized that conducting an inspection does not indicate that a violation of the Competition Act has occurred. The review process, which must be completed within 40 working days, will determine whether the evidence supports a potential breach of competition rules. Should the case proceed, it will be submitted to the Competition Council. Any decisions, including company names and details of the alleged violations, will be published by the Authority.
The inspections follow the OECD’s recent update on best practices for preventing and detecting cartels in procurement. In line with this guidance, the Danish Competition and Consumer Authority has published 11 warning signs on its website for buyers to watch for in procurement processes, aimed at reducing the risk of cartel activity.
