Implementation of the UTPs Act: CCA opens proceeding against PPK-BJELOVAR d.d., Bjelovar

The Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) opened ex officio infringement proceeding within the meaning of the Act on prohibition of unfair trading practices in the business-to-business food supply chain (UTPs Act) with the view to identifying whether the buyer PPK-BJELOVAR used its strong bargaining power and imposed unfair trading practices on its suppliers of agri and food products in the business transactions concerned.

The CCA opened the infringement proceeding following the indications resulting from the preliminary investigation in the agri and food market that involved checking the compliance of the operations of buyers /traders in the retail sector with the UTPs Act.

The CCA notes here that the mere opening of an administrative procedure against an undertaking does not mean that the practices at issue constitute unfair trading practices.

Thus, the CCA will investigate into the content and the nature of the business deals between PPK-BJELOVAR and its suppliers and only then it shall make its decision on the merit of the case, considering all the relevant facts of the case and concrete evidence that substantiate the indications on the basis of which the procedure has been opened in the first place.

In line with its confidentiality obligation, the CCA cannot give comments or provide any information about an ongoing case.

The final decision of the CCA will be published on this website.