The Competition Council extends investigation on timber market to 94 companies

The Competition Council has extended again the investigation on the local timber market over 35 more companies operating in Romania, so that 94 companies are currently investigated, among which there are Holzindustrie Schweighofer, Kronospan Romania, Egger Romania, or Alredia.

The investigation has been initiated in 2016 and is probing into alleged deals in the view of dividing the market and the supply sources, as well as of awarding the volume of timber destined for sale for a minimal price within the tenders organized by Romsilva.

According to the Competition Council’s president, Bogdan Chiritoiu, the council has obtained new clues during the investigation, which suggest that more companies are involved in potential anti-competitive agreements. Chiritoiu added that the focus is higher on the public tenders in this sector.

In early February, the Competition Council initiated an investigation into possible cartel between companies operating on the processing of wood market in order to share the market, the supply sources and the volume of wood intended for sale at a minimum price in the auctions organized by Alba and Hunedoara forestry directorates.

At the end of last year, the Council has fined three local timber companies with around EUR 497,866 for rigging a tender conducted by Romsilva in Neamt county.

In August 2015, in the preliminary report of the study the Competition Council made a number of recommendations for the improving of the competitive environment in the field.