Slovakia: Regulator fines Nitra region for unlawful restriction of pharmaceutical competition

The Antimonopoly Office of the Slovak Republic, the Division of Cartels, (hereafter “the Office”) issued a decision imposing a fine in the total amount of €15,000 (US$16,507) on a municipality in Nitra Region for breaching the provision of Article 39 of the Act on the Protection of Competition.

On the basis of the evidence gathered, the Office came to the conclusion that by providing evident support giving advantage to a certain undertaking or otherwise the municipality in question restricted competition in the market for the provision of pharmaceutical care in public pharmacies. By this conduct, the municipality favored undertakings, which were operating in the market in question during the period of the assessment.

The Office’s decision has not come into force yet, as a party to the proceedings has exercised its right to lodge an appeal against the first-instance decision. Based on this, the decision has become the subject of review by the Office’s second-instance body, which is the Council of the Antimonopoly Office of the Slovak Republic.

Full Content: AntiMon

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