Madrid, 28 November 2025 — Spain’s National Commission for Markets and Competition (CNMC) has imposed a sanction on the Consejo General de Dentistas (General Council of Dentists) after the organisation failed to comply with binding commitments it undertook in 2021 as part of a settlement in a competition case.
The sanction closes a file originally opened in 2019, when the CNMC began investigating both the General Council and the Colegio Oficial de Odontólogos y Estomatólogos de la Iª Región (COEM) for allegedly running advertising campaigns and issuing public statements that could have restricted competition in the dental sector. Two dental clinics had filed complaints that triggered the probe.
Failure to Provide Mandatory Documentation
As part of a terminación convencional (settlement procedure) agreed in 2021, the General Council committed to several corrective measures, including the submission of regular reports on its communication activities and proof that it had published the CNMC’s resolution on its website.
According to the regulator, the Council failed to deliver one of the required communication reports and did not provide a certificate confirming the publication of the 2021 resolution. The CNMC classified this non-compliance as a very serious infringement under Spain’s Competition Act.
Acknowledgment of Responsibility and Reduced Fine
The General Council acknowledged the breach and opted to pay the fine early under Article 85.3 of Spain’s Law 39/2015. This mechanism allows entities to benefit from a reduction of up to 40% if they accept responsibility and make an early payment.
The dental body ultimately paid €25,136, down from the original €41,893.
Case Now Closed
Following payment and the Council’s admission of the violations, the CNMC has formally closed the sanctioning file (S/DC/0573/16).
Source: https://www.cnmc.es/prensa/finaliza-sancionador-consejo-general-dentistas-20251128?back=news
