The Competition Council is investigating the Philips medical device market in Romania
The Competition Council recently announced the launch of an official investigation into the market for medical devices used for patient monitoring. The regulatory authority intends to verify whether there were any anti-competitive practices that could have affected the prices or access to this essential equipment in hospitals across Romania.
The investigation directly targets Philips Romania SRL, as well as several authorized distributors and resellers of the brand's products. Authorities suspect possible agreements between suppliers and their commercial partners that could have limited competition in the market for public and private tenders for medical equipment.
As part of this action, inspectors from the Competition Council conducted unannounced inspections at the headquarters of the targeted companies. The documents and information collected during these checks are now being analyzed to determine whether competition rules were followed or if the current legal provisions were violated.
This initiative is part of a broader strategy by the institution to ensure a fair business environment in the healthcare sector. Given the importance of monitoring devices for patient safety, the authorities emphasize the need for a transparent market where prices are determined by natural market mechanisms, without unjustified external influences.
In the coming period, the Competition Council will continue to analyze the data obtained. If it is proven that there have been violations of the law, the companies involved risk significant financial penalties, in accordance with Romanian and European legislation on competition protection.