Reykjavik, October 23, 2025 — The Icelandic Competition Authority (ICA) and the District Prosecutor’s Office carried out raids and evidence-gathering operations as part of an investigation into alleged cartel conduct involving two companies in the waste management services market.
Joint Investigation Into Collusion Allegations
The prosecutor’s investigation targets suspected criminal offences by employees of the two companies, following a referral by the competition authority. At the same time, the ICA is conducting its own probe into potential breaches of Article 10 of the Competition Act No. 44/2005, which prohibits coordination among competitors, including bid rigging and market sharing.
The searches were carried out in close cooperation between the two agencies, which allows for information sharing and joint enforcement actions between the prosecutor’s office and the competition authority.
Legal Framework and Penalties
Under Article 41(a) of the Competition Act, employees who participate in, encourage, or order anti-competitive coordination may face fines or imprisonment of up to six years. Such cases are investigated by the police following an initial inquiry by the ICA.
Companies found to have infringed competition law — including the prohibition on collusion — face administrative fines under Article 37.
When conduct may entail both corporate fines and criminal liability for individuals, the ICA assesses whether the matter should be referred to the police, taking into account the seriousness of the conduct and public interest considerations.
The ICA said it would not provide further comment at this stage while the investigation continues.
Source: https://www.samkeppni.is/utgafa/frettir/i-tilefni-af-fyrirspurnum-fjolmidla
