Sofia, October 14, 2025 – The Bulgarian Commission on Protection of Competition (CPC) will soon publish preliminary findings from its food market study, part of a broader effort to assess economic distortions ahead of Bulgaria’s adoption of the Euro.
CPC Chair Rosen Karadimov said the review of key sectors — starting with food and pharmaceuticals — aims to identify long-standing structural imbalances resulting from privatization and market concentration. Early analysis shows that while prices of basic food items remained stable between June and August, retail mark-ups ranged between 50% and 90%.
As part of its food sector review, the CPC collected data from nearly 50 retail chains and operators managing about 500 stores across 25 cities, supplemented by information from the National Revenue Agency and the Consumer Protection Commission under a cooperation agreement signed earlier this year. The authority also drew on data from the Confederation of Independent Trade Unions in Bulgaria (CITUB), which monitors food price trends.
He also addressed recent reports of rising cooking oil prices, confirming that coordinated inspections by four agencies — including the Ministry of Agriculture, Customs Agency, and Commodity Exchanges Commission — found no basis for price increases. “When four institutions exchange and publish data together, it deters anyone attempting to manipulate prices,” Karadimov added.
The authority has also launched a detailed investigation into the dairy sector, where some traders control over 80% of milk procurement.
Source: https://www.cpc.bg/news-446
