Competition Council Probes Road Signage Works Market

The Competition Council has launched an investigation into a possible anti-competitive agreement in the Romanian road signage works market.

The competition authority has indications that three companies may have colluded, primarily to divide public procurement procedures related to the sale and execution of road signage works in Romania—particularly those organized by the National Company for Road Infrastructure Administration (CNAIR) SA since 2023. This alleged coordination may have allowed the companies to secure contracts under less competitive conditions, ultimately leading to higher costs for clients.

As part of the investigation, unannounced inspections were carried out at the headquarters and/or work locations of Dumava Semnalizare SRL, Girod Semnalizare Rutieră SRL, and Gamida Euromark SRL, as well as at a supplier of road marking products, which is not a target of the investigation.

The investigation was initiated following a complaint from Vesta Investment SRL.

The unannounced inspections were authorized by the Bucharest Court of Appeal and were deemed necessary to obtain all relevant information and documents needed to clarify the potential anti-competitive practices under scrutiny. These inspections do not represent a final ruling on the guilt of the companies involved.

If the Competition Council determines that competition rules have been violated, the companies could face fines of up to 10% of their annual turnover. However, those that cooperate with the authority under the leniency program may receive immunity from fines or significant reductions.

It’s worth noting that the Competition Council previously sanctioned four companies with total fines of 3.1 million RON for rigging road signage tenders.