Competition enforcement

The Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority enforces competition law across the whole of Finland. It has a number of statutory duties relating to the implementation of competition and consumer policy and ensuring the correct functioning of the market.

You can report any potentially anti-competitive practices that you come across to the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority anonymously. Instructions for reporting anti-competitive practices are available on the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority’s website.

You can also file an official complaint with the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority. Instructions for filing complaints are available on the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority’s website.

We have no authority in matters concerning public contracts regulations.

More information about issues relating to public contracts is available from the Finnish Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment and the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities’ Public Procurement Advisory Unit.

Ensuring the legality of public contracts and especially contracts awarded without competitive tendering is the responsibility of the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority. You can report unlawful procurement practices through the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority’s website.

You can file a formal complaint with your nearest Regional State Administrative Agency if you suspect that a business is breaking competition law. Regional State Administrative Agencies investigate regional cases of anti-competitive behaviour based on information provided by complainants.

We recommend that you contact either the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority or your nearest Regional State Administrative Agency by telephone or email before filing your complaint in order to correctly identify the competent authority and evaluate the significance of your suspicions.

There are no specific rules for wording your complaint, but it must include at least the following information:

• your name, telephone number and email address 
• description of the anti-competitive practice and the identity of the suspected violator 
• information about the product(s) or service(s) affected by the anti-competitive practice and the geographic market in which they are sold
• information about the harmful effects of the anti-competitive practice and the parties affected
• whether the suspected violator has defended their practice in any way
• information about the market shares of the suspected violator and those negatively affected by their anti-competitive practice
• copies of documents and other evidence that you consider relevant to the case
• whether the case has already been investigated or is pending before another authority.

Suspected cases of anti-competitive behaviour are often complex and require an extensive investigation. Complainants can help to speed up the process by providing as much information as possible about the potentially anti-competitive practice, the parties involved and the effect that the practice has on the market. 

Competition complaints are public information. The authorities therefore have a legal obligation to confirm the existence of a complaint and any associated documents to anyone who asks. This does not, however, mean that any business secrets contained in the documents would be disclosed. 

In most cases, the identity of the complainant cannot be concealed either. The complainant’s identity can only be withheld for reasons such as to protect particularly important public or private interests. For example, keeping the element of surprise ahead of an inspection related to a cartel investigation could be a reason to conceal the existence of a complaint and the identity of the complainant at least during the early stages of the investigation. 

Once we have completed our investigation of a complaint, we report our findings to the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority. Each case is unique and handled differently, but it can, depending on the nature of the suspected violations, take years to finally resolve a case. 

Competition authorities prioritise cases that involve anti-competitive practices with the potential to substantially damage the national economy and competition. This is why not all suspected cases can be investigated as thoroughly, and some cases can consequently be resolved very quickly.

Our role in enforcing competition rules consists of

• ensuring compliance with competition law, 
• investigating regional cases of anti-competitive behaviour based on information provided by complainants or the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority’s instructions, 
• overseeing, studying and evaluating the functioning of regional markets and competition, and 
• disseminating information and providing guidance and advice.