Competition Council is looking into possible cartel on the road signs market

The Competition Council (CC) has launched an investigation into a possible understanding on the road signs and road safety products market in the framework of public auctions organized during 2014-2016 by the National Company of Highways and of National Roads of Romania SA, currently the National Company for Road Infrastructure, according to a press release issued by the institution.

“The investigation aims at a possible sharing of the market within three public procurement procedures organized by the National Company of Highways and Roads in Romania SA for awarding the framework agreements for the supply of road signs and road signalling on the national roads network, necessary for the 7 regional administrative structures under its subordination: DRDP Timişoara, DRDP Cluj, DRDP Iaşi, DRDP Constanţa, DRDP Bucharest, DRDP Craiova and DRDP Braşov,” the press release reads.

The Competition Council carried out unannounced inspections at the headquarters of Vesta Investment SRL, Helvespid SRL, Loial Impex SRL, IPA SA and Dual Man SRL, and the seized documents are analyzed by the competition authority in the specific investigative procedure.

Companies are suspected to have participated in three public procurement procedures, either by setting up associations of companies (consortia) to submit a joint bid or by participating with individual offers without competing each other, for the purpose of winning supplying contracts, in circumstances of lower competitiveness and quality, the CC officials inform.