Priorities of the Croatian Competition Agency for 2025  
                     

The mission of the Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) is to ensure and contribute to fair functioning of the market for consumers, undertakings, and the economy through effective competition by removing the barriers that have arisen or may arise by restricting competition. 

In fulfilling these tasks, the CCA conducts proceedings based on parallel application of the Competition Act and the EU law, specifically Articles 101 and 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). The legislative framework in the area of competition (antitrust and merger control) will be updated with the adoption of a new Regulation on the method of setting fines and a Regulation on immunity from fines and reduction of fines. 

The CCA also aims to identify, eliminate, and sanction unfair trading practices in the supply chain of agricultural and food products and to strengthen economic culture by establishing a level-playing field for all undertakings and balance in business relations between all participants in the food supply chain. 

The year 2025 marks the thirtieth anniversary of the enactment of the first Competition Act in the Republic of Croatia. In this context, the CCA will focus its priorities on sectors that have the greatest impact on consumer welfare and practices that have the strongest impact on the development of competition, innovation, productivity, and market resilience. The CCA will continue to focus on the detection and sanctioning of the most severe infringements, such as prohibited agreements between undertakings, abuse of a dominant position, and unfair trading practices in the agri and food supply chain. 

Accordingly, in addition to resolving the ongoing cases, in 2025 CCA will particularly focus its activities on the following markets:  Grocery retail market (food, beverages, toiletries and household supplies) 

The CCA has been monitoring the grocery market through sector investigations under the Competition Act, and by enforcing the Act on the prohibition of unfair trading practices in the business-to-business food supply chain (UTPs Act). While the CCA is no price regulator, in the public interest, it will nonetheless use all available tools within its powers under both laws to investigate potential prohibited agreements or coordinated practices between undertakings. It will further closely monitor agreements and business practices between buyers of agri and food products and their suppliers and investigate into any indication for the initiation of infringement proceedings in case of unfair trading practices or other behaviour that would raise concerns.  Electronic Communications 

Given the number of cases in the electronic communications sector in recent years, the CCA will continue to focus on the market situation in this sector, examining prohibited agreements and abuse of a dominant position by the actors in the telecommunications market.  Energy Sector 

Recognizing the significance of the energy sector for the Croatian economy, state budget, and consumer welfare, the CCA will intensify its scrutiny of market relations and take a comprehensive approach to identifying potential anti-competitive practices. 

To address these priorities, the CCA will continue collaborating with sector specific regulators, encourage an annual meeting with all of them and maintain cooperation with the State Attorney’s Office of the Republic of Croatia under the recently signed cooperation agreement. 

Strengthening Resources and Capacity Building 

Given the currently limited capacities, one of the CCA key priorities for 2025 is to strengthen its human resources by employing necessary experts. Investigations and proceedings conducted by the CCA are complex and require specific expertise, as well as extensive legal and economic analysis and evidence collecting procedures. The success of recruitment efforts will depend on the interest in working at the CCA which has declined due to lower salaries compared to comparable institutions and the private sector. 

To address this, the CCA will prioritize education and continuous professional development within its available financial resources, including a planned internship for one employee at the European Commission in 2025. 

Focus on Cartels and Anti-Competitive Agreements 

The CCA will continue prioritizing the detection and sanctioning of prohibited agreements across all markets. Prohibited horizontal agreements (cartels) represent the most severe breaches of competition law, irrespective of the market share. In 2025, the CCA will focus on the violations outlined in Article 8 paragraph 1 of the Competition Act, i.e., including the agreements that fix purchase or selling prices or any other trading conditions, limit or control production, markets, technical development or investment, share markets or sources of supply,          apply dissimilar conditions to equivalent transactions with other undertakings, or make the conclusion of contracts subject to acceptance by the other parties of supplementary obligations which, by their nature or according to commercial usage have no connection with the subject of such contracts. The collaborative practices also include agreements on rebates, bid rigging, in other words, all practices that raise the prices of goods and services above the competitive level and thereby mostly harm the consumers and the economy. 

Emphasis will be placed on detecting and proving prohibited bid-rigging cartels among competitors in public procurement. This form of collusion significantly harms the economy, state budget, and consumers. The CCA will continue its cooperation with the Ministry of Economy and the State Commission for the Control of Public Procurement Procedures (DKOM). Additionally, the CCA will proceed with its participation in the Technical Support Instrument (TSI) project with the OECD, the European Commission, and several EU member states (Austria, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, and Romania) to enhance the detection and prevention of bid-rigging through targeted workshops and training for stakeholders (contractors, judiciary and associations of undertakings). 

The Digital Affairs Department within the CCA will play a crucial role in uncovering and analysing digital evidence related to prohibited agreements and will continue developing new digital investigation tools. 

The CCA will also promote the importance of leniency programmes in cartel detection, encouraging undertakings to report cartels and provide evidence in exchange for full (if the first to come forward), or partial immunity from fines. The CCA will further promote its online whistleblower tool, enabling anonymous reporting of any anti-competitive agreements. 

Addressing Vertical Agreements and Abuse of Dominance 

The CCA will also prioritize the detection and sanctioning of anti-competitive vertical agreements, particularly those that impose resale price maintenance or other restrictions through coercion. 

Moreover, the CCA will focus on investigating abusive practices of undertakings holding a dominant position in the market due to their harmful impact on competition, market structure, and consumers. 

Merger Control 

The CCA will continue its efforts in merger control to prevent anti-competitive effects arising from mergers, acquisitions, and joint ventures, particularly those leading to the strengthening of existing or the creation of a dominant position. 

Digital Markets and AI Regulation 

As the national coordinator with the European Commission in enforcing the EU Digital Markets Act (DMA), the CCA will continue monitoring digital markets (particularly gatekeepers) and AI developments. To that end, in 2025 the CCA plans to launch a TSI project with the European Commission and several EU member states to strengthen its AI-related competencies. 

Sector inquiries and international cooperation  

In 2025, in line with existing resource limitations, the CCA will primarily conduct sector specific research on markets that have the greatest impact on consumers. The CCA will consider the possibility of collaborating with competition authorities of the EU member states to pool resources, achieve synergies, and enhance better understanding of the markets concerned. Additionally, if concerns arise regarding the efficiency of any market or new circumstances affecting competition emerge, the CCA will initiate additional sector inquiries. 

Advocacy 

The key activity for the CCA in 2025 will be providing expert opinions on legislative proposals and existing laws regarding their compliance with competition rules or the rules regulating unfair trading practices in the food supply chain, indicating a possible need for amendments. In this regard, active contributions from stakeholders in adopting proposals or comments from the CCA opinions is expected. 

As a long-term priority, the CCA will continue implementing activities aimed at development of competition culture and raising awareness about the importance of compliance in both areas. This will include trainings led by the CCA experts for various stakeholders. 

Transparency and Public Engagement 

The CCA will continue to ensure transparency in its operations by publishing its decisions, opinions, annual reports, market studies, and other relevant documents on its official website. Additionally, the presence on LinkedIn business platform and the creation of the CCA e-bulletin will keep informing the stakeholders about significant developments in competition law, unfair trading practices rules, and digital markets. 

The CCA will also maintain its communication strategy with the media, fostering trust and openness by providing relevant information on competition enforcement practices. 

Unfair trading practices  

In the area of unfair trading practices between buyers and suppliers, the CCA plans to close the ongoing administrative proceedings, some of which were initiated based on the investigation into the compliance of the agreements concluded between buyers and suppliers and their business practices under the UTPs Act, as well as to deal with the common non-administrative cases. However, the investigations will extend beyond the “usual suspects” in the food supply chain to include distributors and the hospitality sector. 

International Cooperation  

As part of the efforts to promote knowledge about and the enforcement of UTPs rules, a regional meeting will be organized with competition authorities that oversee the area of UTPs. Another key aspect of international cooperation is participation in the European UTP Enforcement Network and involvement in working groups related to the creation of the legislative framework in the area of unfair trading practices in the food supply chain. The CCA will actively participate in UTPs international conferences and meetings and support the countries in the region that are in the process of introduction of the UTPs rules into their legal frameworks. 

In the field of competition policy, CCA will continue its regular activities within the European Competition Network (ECN) and Croatia OECD accession negotiations that were completed in September 2024 regarding competition policy. A key priority in this area will be regular participation in the OECD Competition Committee and fulfilling the remaining medium- and long-term recommendations from the Committee. 

Conclusion 

The defined priority areas for CCA in 2025 aim to enhance efficiency and optimize the allocation of resources. However, a certain level of flexibility will be maintained to allow responses to unforeseen market developments that may require intervention by the CCA to ensure effective competition in the Croatian market.

Croatian Competition Agency Sets Strategic Goals for 2025

The Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) has announced its strategic priorities for 2025, aiming to ensure fair market functioning and enhance consumer welfare. The agency's mission includes removing barriers to competition and enforcing both national and EU competition laws.

In 2025, the CCA will update its legislative framework, particularly regarding the method of setting fines and regulations on immunity from fines. The agency will focus on sectors that significantly impact consumer welfare, including the grocery retail market, electronic communications, and the energy sector.

The CCA plans to intensify its scrutiny of the grocery market, investigating potential prohibited agreements and unfair trading practices. In the electronic communications sector, the agency will examine cases of abuse of dominant positions. The energy sector will also be closely monitored due to its importance to the economy and consumer welfare.

To strengthen its capabilities, the CCA aims to enhance its human resources by recruiting experts and prioritizing professional development. The agency will also focus on detecting and sanctioning cartels and anti-competitive agreements, particularly in public procurement.

Additionally, the CCA will address vertical agreements and abuse of dominance, while continuing its efforts in merger control to prevent anti-competitive effects. The agency will monitor digital markets and AI developments, collaborating with the European Commission to enforce the EU Digital Markets Act.

In terms of advocacy, the CCA will provide expert opinions on legislative proposals and work towards raising awareness about competition compliance. Transparency will be a key focus, with the agency committing to publish decisions and reports to keep stakeholders informed.

Finally, the CCA will engage in international cooperation to promote knowledge and enforcement of unfair trading practices, participating in regional meetings and the European Competition Network.



Croatian Competition Agency Sets Strategic Goals for 2025

The Croatian Competition Agency outlines its key priorities for 2025, focusing on enhancing market competition and consumer welfare through targeted enforcement and collaboration.