The Competition Council launched an investigation into a possible trickle of auctions organized by the Oltenia Power Complex for the purchase of rolls and roller garlands for coal conveyors.

The Competition Authority suspects that Upipsa S.R.L., Axa Company S.R.L., Uzina Rominex S.R.L., Uzitmet Industry S.R.L., Prelmet S.A. and the Group of Industrial and Excavator Repair X S.R.L. have agreed to divide their contracts for participation in public procurement procedures in order to eliminate competition between them.

In the investigation initiated as a result of the notification made by the Oltenia Energy Complex, the Competition Council carried out unannounced inspections at the headquarters of the companies, the documents being analyzed by the competition authority in the specific investigative procedure.

Unannounced inspections are authorized by the Bucharest Court of Appeal and are justified by the need to obtain all the information and documents necessary to clarify the possible anticompetitive practice under consideration. Unannounced inspections are an important step in procedures to investigate possible anti-competitive behavior, not pretending to be pronouncing on corporate guilt.

Competition law prohibits the association of companies with the aim of restricting competition to public procurement procedures.