The Competition Council has carried out dawn raids at undertakings active in the market for the purchase of raw cow's milk

The Competition Council has conducted dawn raids at the main undertakings active in the market of raw cow's milk for processing.

The dawn raids were carried out between 4-6 June 2024 in order to identify evidence to confirm or refute suspicions related to possible anticompetitive practices prohibited by art. 5 of the Competition Law on the purchase of raw milk from producers.

The conduct of dawn raids does not signify the finding of infringement by the Competition Council or of the guilt of undertakings in committing anti-competitive actions. They are only one stage of the investigation and a tool for obtaining evidence. Once the dawn raids have been completed, the accumulated evidence is to be analysed in order to carry out other investigative actions necessary to establish the existence or lack of alleged infringements of competitive law.

The legislation does not provide for any fixed time limit for the completion of the investigation procedure. It depends on several factors, including the complexity of the case, the extent to which the undertakings involved cooperate with the competition authority, the enforcement of the rights of the parties to the defence and a fair trial.

Given the crucial role of the agri-food sector in the national economy and in ensuring food security for the population, maintaining a normal and fair competitive environment in this field is of vital importance.