Romania’s competition authority has levied a total of €32.15 million in fines against eight automotive sector companies – including automobile Dacia and Renault Technologie Roumanie – for engaging in anti-competitive practices. The firms are accused of colluding to limit employee movement and suppress wages through “no-poaching” agreements, a practise increasingly scrutinized by European regulators. This marks the first time Romania has sanctioned such agreements, which are considered detrimental to both labor market competition and employee opportunities[[3]].
Romania’s competition authority has fined eight companies, including Automobile Dacia and Renault Technologie Roumanie, for illegal practices in the labor market.
The companies are accused of colluding to divide the labor market, preventing employees from moving between firms and keeping salaries low.
“No-poaching” agreements are arrangements where companies agree not to hire or solicit employees from each other. Essentially, companies refrain from “stealing” each other’s staff.
The European Commission and the Court of Justice of the EU consider these agreements economically damaging, similar to wage-fixing. The reasoning is that these practices reduce employee mobility and stifle competition in the labor market, potentially leading to lower wages and less favorable working conditions.
Such practices are considered “restrictive agreements” prohibited by Article 101(1) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).
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Penalties Imposed by the Competition Authority
The Competition Authority has sanctioned eight companies with fines totaling approximately €32.15 million for participating in an anti-competitive agreement aimed at limiting employee mobility and keeping human resource costs down,” the competition authority announced.
Following an investigation, the authority found that Alten Si-Techno Romania SRL, Akkodis Romania SRL, Automobile-Dacia SA, Bertrandt Engineering Technologies Romania SRL, Expleo Romania SRL, FEV ECE Automotive SRL, Renault Technologie Roumanie SRL and Segula Technologies Romania SRL agreed not to compete for the recruitment and hiring of each other’s skilled/specialized workforce associated with automotive production activities and/or other related activities, including engineering and technical consulting services in Romania. The companies also agreed not to recruit human resources from one another without prior consent.
The fines were applied as follows:
► Akkodis Romania SRL: approximately one million euros
► Alten Si-Techno Romania SRL: approximately two million euros
► Automobile-Dacia SA: approximately 16 million euros
► Bertrandt Engineering Technologies Romania SRL: approximately 1.2 million euros
► Expleo Romania SRL: approximately 1.2 million euros
► Fev ECE Automotive SRL: approximately 300,000 euros
► Renault Technologie Roumanie SRL: approximately 9 million euros
► Segula Technologies Romania SRL: approximately 600,000 euros
“No-Poaching” Agreements Sanctioned for the First Time in Romania
These behaviors, known as “no-poaching” agreements, are understandings where companies agree not to hire or make unsolicited offers to employees of competing firms, thereby foregoing competition for attracting and retaining the workforce.
“This is the first case in which we are sanctioning these anti-competitive practices, where companies do not compete for attracting specialized labor. Human resources represent an essential parameter of competition between companies, given the weight of personnel costs in total expenses, the labor shortage or the mobility of employees/teams. This type of behavior, ‘no-poaching,’ is particularly harmful both to competition, by creating artificial barriers in the market, and to employees whose opportunities for mobility are affected,” said Bogdan Chirițoiu, President of the Competition Authority.
During the investigation, one company applied to the leniency program, providing documents and information that significantly contributed to proving the anti-competitive practice and received a significant reduction in the fine. Five other companies admitted their guilt and, therefore, benefited from reductions in the sanctions.
The investigation was launched following a complaint received on the Competition Whistleblower Platform.
Competition law prohibits any agreements between companies and concerted practices that prevent, restrict or distort competition in the Romanian market, such as those that divide markets/sources of supply.
The decisions of the Competition Authority are enforceable, and the fines imposed represent revenue to the state budget. The National Agency for Fiscal Administration (ANAF) implements the authority’s sanctioning decision and enforces the fines.
The authority’s decision will be published on the institution’s website after the removal of confidential information.
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Source: News.ro
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Publication date:
January 12, 2026 14:47
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