The Commission for the Protection of Competition (herewith the “Commission”) at its meeting on the 28th of May 2012, unanimously decided to initiate an ex officio investigation against the Pancyprian Organization of Cattle Farmers Public Ltd (herewith “POCF”), based on the provision of the Section 23(2)(α) of the Protection of Competition Law 13(Ι)/2008 (herewith the “Law”), for alleged infringements of Sections 3 and/or 6 of the Law and Articles 101 and/or 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. The aim of the investigation is to examine the relationship between POCF and the cattle farmers as well as the conduct and/or practices of POCF in the sale/distribution of fresh cow milk for the period 01/01/2009 until the present time.
The Commission, in the course of the ex officio investigation, gave instructions to the Service of the Commission to proceed with a preliminary investigation which also included unannounced inspection at the offices, premises and means of transportation of the undertaking under investigation.
The inspection, which begun today, is conducted by eleven (11) officers of the Service of the Commission and will continue until all the necessary evidence is collected.
The Commission, having examined information, press releases and publications, came to the conclusion that the market of fresh cow milk merits investigation, due to its importance to the consumers and also due to the fact that the agricultural sector has always been an important part of the Cyprus as well as of the European Union economy.
COMMISSION FOR THE PROTECTION OF COMPETITION
28/5/2012
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