The Croatian Competition Agency (CCA) exercised its powers under the Croatian Competition Act to conduct a surprise inspection at the business premises of Benefit Systems d.o.o., based in Zagreb. The inspection was authorized by the High Administrative Court of the Republic of Croatia.

The CCA initiated an ex officio proceeding against Benefit Systems to investigate whether the company engaged in anti-competitive behavior by potentially entering into prohibited agreements or abusing its dominant position. The focus is on whether Benefit Systems imposed supplementary obligations unrelated to contracts and restricted the sports and leisure intermediaries market in Croatia.

The investigation was triggered by a complaint from PassSport d.o.o., alleging that Benefit Systems hindered its entry into the sports and leisure market by creating barriers to competition. The CCA conducted the unannounced inspection to gather evidence supporting the allegations and to uncover additional facts related to the case.

The decision on whether Benefit Systems violated competition rules will be based on the evidence collected during the inspection and the merits of the case. The CCA clarified that the initiation of an infringement proceeding and the inspection do not predetermine the final decision in the case.