The Hellenic Competition Commission (HCC) announces the launch of a mapping study on the conditions of competition in the value chain of the food sector.

This mapping study is complementary to the HCC’s mappings of certain individual food products (e.g. milk, yoghurt, feta cheese) and of a number of individual factors of the food value chain (animal feed and veterinary medicinal products), which were completed in October 2025 and their findings have already been published, with a view to providing a comprehensive overview of the competitive conditions in the agri-food sector.

The HCC will analyse the competitive conditions prevailing in the agri-food sector, namely, agricultural production, processing, wholesale trade and retail trade of food products.  This issue remains highly relevant in view of the rise in food prices and the changes in food inflation in recent years.

Mapping and analysing competition at all stages of the supply chain allow for the identification of both distortions that may arise from limited competition and deeper structural problems in the Greek economy. Price developments in food markets may not be determined exclusively by competitive dynamics, which makes it necessary to assess the role of broader economic factors. In this context the study will be realized with the use of multiple indexes which measure the market structure and performance, static and dynamic considerations and data at firm and sector level.

Mapping studies and sector inquiries are important analytical tools for the HCC, allowing it to identify and analyse possible issues within a specific sector, regardless of merger control procedures or investigations into anti-competitive behavior (such as cartels, abuse of dominant position) in breach of Law 3959/2011 and Articles 101 and 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).

The aim of conducting and publishing these mapping studies is to strengthen and enrich the dialogue with all relevant public and private stakeholders on competition policy in Greece and, where appropriate, to lead to proposals for the introduction of any necessary regulatory interventions.

The findings of the mapping of the agri-food sector are expected to be published in the third quarter of 2026.