The most significant enforcement action of the year involved the first no-poach agreement decision in Romania. Eight companies operating in automotive manufacturing and related engineering services were fined a combined €32 million for allocating the labor market among themselves. The investigation, which ran from 2021 to December 2025, revealed that the infringement spanned more than a decade. The companies had agreed not to solicit or recruit each other’s skilled workforce, a practice that required prior consent before approaching another party’s employees. One company applied for leniency after the investigation opened, providing evidence that significantly contributed to establishing the infringement, while five other companies settled the case. The RCC treated the conduct as a restriction by object, a classification that distinguishes it from approaches in other jurisdictions, such as France, where non-solicitation clauses in collaborative projects may be assessed differently.
Alongside the labor market decision, the RCC continued its focus on vertical pricing restraints in the tobacco and luxury goods sectors. Philip Morris Trading SRL, Interbrands Orbico SRL, and Mediaposte Hit Mail SA were fined €26.6 million for fixing resale prices and coordinating promotional strategies for IQOS heated tobacco products. The agreement covered pricing levels, discount caps, and prior approval requirements for marketing campaigns.
The agency’s record-breaking year also included a €710 million fine related to the ROBOR banking cartel. This decision has been signed off by the European Commission, marking a significant validation of the RCC’s enforcement powers. However, the full legal implications of this fine are expected to unfold over several years. Bogdan Chirițoiu, the competition chief who recently concluded his third term, indicated in an interview that damages claims are unlikely to be litigated for some time, predicting that appeals will likely run their course first. This timeline suggests a prolonged legal battle as affected parties navigate the procedural requirements for compensation.
While the enforcement record was robust, the RCC is simultaneously advancing a significant legislative reform package to modernize its legal framework ahead of Romania’s anticipated accession to the OECD. This modernization is paired with a practical compliance push for cross-border buyers and sellers, with new M&A law changes taking effect in 2026. These changes aim to streamline the regulatory environment for international transactions, though they have drawn attention from legal experts regarding the complexity of compliance requirements.
Despite the external success of its enforcement agenda, the agency faces worsening internal resource problems. Chirițoiu highlighted during his final term that the agency’s capacity to handle its growing caseload is under strain. The RCC ended 2025 ranked first in the European Union by the number of Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) cases concluded, a testament to its increasing prominence in the EU competition landscape. However, the combination of high-profile investigations, such as the labor market cartel and the banking fines, and the need to implement new legislative reforms places significant pressure on the agency’s administrative and legal teams.
The next formal step for the RCC involves the issuance of detailed reasoning for the record bank fines, which is expected within four months. This document will provide critical guidance for future cases and is likely to be central to the appeals process. As the agency transitions leadership following Chirițoiu’s departure, the focus will remain on maintaining the momentum of its assertive enforcement while addressing the structural resource gaps that could hinder its ability to sustain this level of activity in the coming years.
