The Commission for Protection of Competition (KZK) has launched a sector analysis of the fuel retailing market in Bulgaria.

The watchdog will check for cartel agreements or abuse of dominant position.

In 2011 the antitrust watchdog approved a sector analysis of the gasoline and diesel fuel markets in Bulgaria spanning the period 2009-2011.

Although the results of the probe completed in July 2011 did not indicate any serious violations, in 2012 the inspectors of the watchdog detected a cartel agreement between fuel retailers Lukoil Bulgaria, Rompetrol Bulgaria, Naftex Petrol, and OMV Bulgaria, according to reports of econ.bg.

The companies were given a 30-day deadline to curb the practice.

KZK says that the new probe aims to establish whether the significant decrease in crude oil prices on international markets has had an adequate impact on the local fuel retailing market.

KZK also seeks to inspect the discounts introduced by a number of filling stations over the past few months.

KZK also intends to check the new participants on the market and their influence on retail prices, investor.bg informs.

According to Mario Gavrilov, Chair of the antitrust watchdog, the sector analysis should be wrapped up in 2-3 months.

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