The Belgian Competition Authority (BCA) has announced that it is currently conducting inspections at companies involved in the road signage and street furniture sectors. This action is based on serious indications of potential manipulations of public procurement procedures, commonly known as bid rigging.

The BCA suspects that these practices may violate Article IV.1 of the Code of Economic Law and Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which prohibit anticompetitive agreements. Additionally, there is a possibility that certain actions may also infringe Article IV.2 of the CEL and Article 102 TFEU, which address abuses of dominance.

Inspections are a preliminary step in investigating restrictive practices and do not indicate the outcome of the investigation. The duration of the investigation will depend on various factors, including the complexity of the case and the cooperation of the involved companies.

The BCA encourages reporting of any suspected breaches of competition rules through its secure reporting line. Companies involved in cartels may also benefit from the leniency program, which offers the possibility of full or partial exoneration from fines or immunity from prosecution.