About us
The Agency for the Protection of Market Competition was established by the Decision of the Croatian Parliament on September 20, 1995, and it started working in early 1997.
The Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) was established by the Decision of the Croatian Parliament of 20 September 1995 and became operative in early 1997.The CCA as a national competition authority – a general regulatory authority in charge of competition in all markets within the scope and powers defined by the Competition Act, OG 79/09, the Act on the Amendments to the Competition Act, OG 80/13, the Act on the Amendments to the Competition Act, OG 41/21 and other ancillary provisions – regulations – necessary for its implementation.
Furthermore, since 17 December 2017, when the Act on the prohibition of unfair trading practices in the business-to-business food supply chain OG 117/17 (UTPs Act) entered into force and established the rules and effective redress mechanisms to eliminate UTPs being imposed in the food supply chain, the CCA has been empowered for its implementation and for imposing sanctions in the area concerned. The full application of the UTPs Act started on 1 April 2018. Additional information about the unfair trading practices, the legal framework in force, the investigative powers and administrative procedure and FAQs about the area concerned can be found here.
The CCA is accountable for the delivery of its objectives to the Croatian Parliament. In compliance with its legal obligation CCA reports annually to the Croatian Parliament whereas the annual report for the former year must be submitted to the Croatian Parliament until 30 June of the current year.
The CCA has no operational or financial revenue of its own and it is financed exclusively from the State Budget of the Republic of Croatia. In line with the fiscal capacity of the State Budget of the Republic of Croatia the CCA is ensured sufficient resources in terms of qualified staff, financial means, technical and technological expertise and equipment.
Why should competition be protected? Because it brings benefits for consumers and creates a level playing field for market participants, which on their part, acting in compliance with the existing rules and competing with quality, price and innovation of their products, help to raise productivity across the economy.
Within the powers of the CCA it is its job to make sure that different kinds of anticompetitive practices – be it price fixing, abuse of a dominant position – are detected, assessed and accordingly sanctioned if they represent infringements of competition rules. The same applies to the assessment of compatibility of concentrations (mergers and acquisitions). By carrying out investigations and assessments and imposing sanctions in the above-mentioned areas the CCA sends a clear message to all participants in the market – free entrepreneurial initiative cannot be restricted but it must be encouraged under strict competition rules that are not merely repressive but in the first place have a deterrent effect. The CCA strongly believes in awareness raising and dissemination of knowledge about competition law and policy, which is its constant priority.
One of the most important tasks of the CCA is to advocate competition culture and identify the barriers contained in the existing and new laws that impede free and fair competition among undertakings in the market. It is the objective of the CCA to promote the understanding of competition rules within all the three branches of the government— executive, law-making and judicial. To that end, the CCA participates in the revisions of the non-compliant rules and informs the public administration and the wider public about competition concerns.
Finally, competition brings benefits for all: consumers, businesses and the overall economy. It ensures wider choice, higher quality of goods and services and lower prices. It facilitates innovation and economic growth. This is why raising awareness in promoting competition culture we find particularly important.
Our goals
- Removing restrictions that hinder the action of market competition forces, strengthening the culture of market competition
- Implementation of the antitrust protection system on the Croatian market and integration into the antitrust protection system on the internal market of the European Union
- Promoting awareness of the benefits that market competition brings to citizens, strengthening the culture of market competition