Communication
The aim of the protection of market competition is primarily to create benefits for consumers and equal conditions for all entrepreneurs on the market, who, acting in accordance with the existing rules and competing on the market with the quality, price and innovation of their products and services, contribute to the overall development of the economy.
CCA fines retailer TP VARAŽDIN d.o.o. EUR 30,000 for imposing unfair trading practices
The Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) fined the retailer TP VARAŽDIN d.o.o. EUR 30,000 for a serious infringement of the Croatian Act on the prohibition of unfair trading practices in the business-to-business food supply chain (UTPs Act).
The CCA opened ex officio infringement proceeding against the retailer TP VARAŽDIN with the view to establishing whether it used its strong bargaining power and imposed unfair trading practices on one of its suppliers of agri and food products.
The investigation showed that TP VARAŽDIN used its strong bargaining power and imposed unfair trading practices on three suppliers of agri and food products.
Concretely, the investigation found that in the period from 4 November 2021 to 15 December 2022 TP VARAŽDIN made payments to its suppliers exceeding the period of 60 days from the day of the receipt of the invoice for non-perishable products and exceeding the statutory deadline of 30 days for perishable agri and food products, which constituted an unfair trading practice under the UTPs Act.
Considering the gravity, the scope and the duration of the infringement, the consequences for the suppliers, and several mitigating circumstances, the CCA found that the fine would have a deterrent effect not only on TP VARAŽDIN but also on other actors in the food supply chain.
The integral decision of the CCA in the Croatian language can be here