Entering into force on 1 June 2006, the Act on Trade extended the scope of duties and competence of the GVH in law application, which primarily covers the enforcement of the competition rules.
The Act on Trade introduced rules that are intended to influence the conduct of large retailers, which have significant market power, since it prohibits traders having significant market power from abusive conducts vis-á-vis suppliers. Based on the substantive provisions of the Act on Trade, the GVH supervises traders having significant market power with regard to abuses. In these cases, the GVH proceeds pursuant to the procedural and other provisions concerning the abuse of a dominant position of the Competition Act.
Anyone perceiving that the rules concerning the abuse of a significant market power in the Act on Trade were infringed, may submit a complaint or informal complaint to the GVH. The complaint must be submitted by filling out a form, which is to be found on our website.
Furthermore, the Act compels trading undertakings having significant market power to adopt and apply a self-regulating code of ethics, which covers the application of fair trading practices in their contacts with suppliers, as well as the procedure applicable in the case of an infringement of the previous provisions. The trading undertakings concerned were obliged to adopt this code until 1 December 2006, and submit it to the GVH for approval. In the approval procedure, the GVH proceeds in compliance with Act CXL of 2004 on the General Rules of Administrative Procedures and Services.