On May 30, 2025, the Greek Competition Authority announced the prioritization of an investigation into the practices of a company operating in the online travel agency (OTA) market. This investigation is focused on the provision of search, comparison, and booking services for hotel accommodations.

The investigation was triggered by a complaint and aims to determine whether there have been violations of Article 2 of Law 3959/2011, which pertains to the protection of free competition, as well as Article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).

To facilitate this investigation, the Directorate-General for Competition has conducted extensive research measures involving OTAs and hundreds of hotel establishments across Greece.

The legal framework governing this investigation includes Law 3959/2011, which prohibits agreements and practices that restrict competition, as outlined in Articles 1 and 101 of the TFEU. Additionally, Article 1A of Law 3959/2011 prohibits unilateral practices that invite prohibited agreements and disclose future pricing intentions to competitors.

Furthermore, Articles 2 of Law 3959/2011 and 102 of the TFEU prohibit the abusive exploitation of a dominant market position.

The assignment of a rapporteur marks the beginning of the decision-making timelines as per paragraphs 4 and 5 of Article 15 of Law 3959/2011. However, this does not preclude the content of the rapporteur's recommendation or the final decision of the Authority. The legal timeframe is indicative, and the duration of each case's examination will depend on its complexity, the volume of the administrative file, and the level of cooperation from the companies under investigation.