The Estonian Competition Authority has begun supervisory proceedings against multiple retail chains, including Coop Eesti Keskühistu, Selver AS, AS Prisma Peremarket, Rimi Eesti Food AS, Maxima Eesti OÜ, and AS OG Elektra. This investigation focuses on the trading practices these companies employ when purchasing food from suppliers.

Kristin Truus, a lawyer from the Competition Division, highlighted that the Authority's focus for 2025 is to examine the contractual terms between retail enterprises and food producers. In the first half of the year, they analyzed around 140 contracts, revealing that many food suppliers have faced unfair trading practices, which are illegal.

According to the survey conducted by the Authority, 60% of food suppliers reported experiencing unilateral changes to their contractual terms. Additionally, 48% faced late payments and abrupt order cancellations, while 47% encountered demands for fees not related to sales. Furthermore, 43% of suppliers reported facing commercial threats from buyers.

The survey indicated that nearly 76% of respondents believe that most unfair trading issues arise from retail chain buyers. Consequently, the Authority has initiated proceedings against the six retail enterprises mentioned. It is important to note that the initiation of these proceedings does not imply that any violations have been confirmed; all parties involved will have the chance to present their perspectives.

The Authority conducted an anonymous survey among agricultural and food product suppliers in March and April 2025 to gauge the prevalence of unfair trading practices. The findings of this survey are available on the Competition Authority's website.

Suppliers can report unfair trading practices anonymously through the Authority's tips portal or via email. The Estonian Competition Authority oversees competition regulations across various sectors, including agriculture and food supply chains, and operates under the Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs.