MOLDOVA Trends and Developments Contributed by: Ina Jimbei, Efrim Rosca & Associates
This approach has gradually begun to change. As the Competition Council has become more active in investigating complex transactions and imposing sig - nificant fines in cartel cases, companies have shown greater interest in identifying competition risks before they materialise. At the same time, the Competition Council has increasingly engaged with the business community through conferences, workshops, public consultations and other awareness-raising initiatives aimed at promoting a better understanding of com - petition law and encouraging voluntary compliance. This increased dialogue between the authority and the business community reflects a broader shift towards preventative enforcement and has contributed to a greater awareness of competition law risks among market participants. The increasing focus on compliance is particularly visible among multinational groups operating in Mol - dova, many of which seek to align their local opera - tions with global compliance policies and internal governance standards. Domestic businesses have likewise become more attentive to competition law risks, particularly in relation to information exchanges with competitors, distribution arrangements, partici - pation in trade associations and public procurement procedures. Companies are increasingly requesting legal advice not only after an investigation has com - menced but also when designing commercial strate - gies or reviewing existing business practices.
Competition compliance is also becoming increasing - ly relevant in the context of merger control. Transac - tions raising potential competition concerns frequent - ly require extensive internal information gathering, market assessments and strategic engagement with the Competition Council. As a result, businesses are investing more resources in internal compliance pro - cedures, employee training and document manage - ment in order to reduce regulatory risks and facilitate interactions with the competition authority. This gradual shift towards preventative compliance reflects Moldova’s continuing approximation to the EU acquis, where competition compliance has become an important element of corporate governance and risk management. Although the sophistication of com - pliance programmes still varies depending on the size, sector and resources of individual undertakings, com - petition law is increasingly viewed not merely as an enforcement risk but as an integral part of responsible business conduct. Looking ahead, this trend is likely to strengthen further as competition enforcement con - tinues to evolve and the framework for private antitrust litigation develops.
120 A NTITRUST LI T IGATI O N 2026
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