The Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority (FCCA) has issued a reminder to veterinary clinics in Tampere regarding compliance with competition law, particularly in relation to public procurement processes. This follows an incident where a local clinic contacted competitors about pricing for a tender related to small animal emergency services.

In March 2025, prior to the tender's publication, a Tampere veterinary clinic suggested to two competing clinics that they should raise their prices due to increased costs and proposed setting a minimum price for the upcoming tender. The FCCA emphasized that such inter-company communications could be viewed as an attempt to form a bid-rigging cartel, which is strictly prohibited under competition rules.

The FCCA clarified that each business must independently determine its market conduct and pricing strategies. Any direct or indirect communication between competitors aimed at influencing market behavior or sharing planned pricing can lead to serious legal consequences.

Cartels are considered one of the most severe forms of competition restriction, causing economic harm to consumers and the market. The FCCA highlighted that even the mere exchange of information regarding bids can constitute bid-rigging, which is detrimental to public procurement processes.

In this case, the FCCA found that the contacts did not result in increased prices for the small-animal emergency service, as the winning bid was significantly lower than previous contracts. Instead of pursuing a detailed investigation, the FCCA opted to send advisory letters to the involved parties, encouraging them to conduct a self-assessment of their compliance with competition law.

The FCCA has closed its investigation but retains the option to reopen the case if new information arises that suggests a significant restriction of competition.