Competition Council fines Philips Romania nearly EUR 1 million

The Competition Council announced on Wednesday, September 9, that it fined Philips Romania RON 5.18 million, equivalent to roughly EUR 1 million, for providing incomplete documents during an unannounced inspection. The authority said the action restricted its inspectors’ access to information potentially relevant to an ongoing investigation.

“After being informed that the competition authority’s inspection was underway, a company employee uninstalled WhatsApp from a mobile device used for professional purposes,” the council said.

As a result, inspectors could no longer access potentially relevant information stored in the application, according to the authority.

The inspection at Philips Romania took place between July 28 and July 30, 2026. The Competition Council also searched the premises of ten Philips distributors or resellers active in the markets for ultrasound medical equipment and patient-monitoring devices used in hospitals and clinics.

The Bucharest Court of Appeal authorized the inspections, which were carried out to obtain documents and information needed to clarify a possible anti-competitive practice, according to the council.

“Conducting these inspections does not represent a prejudgment regarding the companies’ guilt,” the Competition Council stressed.

Under Romanian competition law, inspectors may request any information connected to an investigation. Companies that refuse to cooperate or obstruct unannounced inspections can be fined between 0.5% and 1% of their total turnover from the financial year preceding the sanction.