Romania's Competition Council investigates a possible cartel on timber market

Romania’s Competition Council has controlled the headquarters of four local companies operating in the timber industry, as well as the offices of two state forest administration departments. The Council suspects that the companies and the state agencies might have concluded an anti-competitive agreement, said Bogdan Chiritoiu, head of the Competition Council, reports local Agerpres. The investigated companies are Kronospan Romania, Kronospan Sebes, Alredia SRL, and Lacul Codrilor. The verified institutions are the Alba and Hunedoara forest administration departments. The investigation has been looking into an agreement on splitting the market and the distribution sources, as well as selling the wood at a minimum price in the public auctions organized by the two forest agencies. “We will carefully analyze the tenders with few bidders, as well as those where the price adjudication was very low,” said Chiritoiu. editor@romania-insider.com