Competition Council investigating possible agreements in the mobile telephony market

The Competition Council (CC) has triggered two investigations having as object possible agreements in the market of selling of prepaid mobile telephony products, the Council informs in a statement.
"An investigation was triggered following a complaint and has as object a possible agreement between Orange Romania SA and its distributors not to sell to certain economic operators. The second investigation was triggered ex officio and is aimed at possible anticompetitive practices by establishing resale pricing and agreements between the economic agents involved throughout the distribution chain of SC Orange Romania SA, SC Vodafone Romania SA and SC Cosmote Mobile Telecommunications SA ", the release reads. Since 2006, the competition authority has had under analysis a possible abuse of dominant position committed by Orange, Vodafone and Romtelecom on the market for call termination at fixed / mobile points in their own public telephony network.
Within these investigations, the Competition Council carried out unannounced inspections both at the premises of the three telephone operators and at those of distributors of prepaid mobile telephony products. The documents and declarations arrested in such investigations are under the analysis of the Romanian competition authority, within the specific investigation procedure.
"The agreements of this type represent an infringement of the principle of free competition, having as effect an increase in prices and the reduction of the consumers' possibility to choose products. If these practices will be confirmed, the Competition Council will sanction the guilty companies with fines that can reach up to 10% of their turnover", said the Competition Council Chairman Bogdan Chiritoiu.