Sector Inquiry on Waste Management

The Office for the Protection of Competition (the Office) has initiated a large-scale sector inquiry focused on waste management. Over the next two years, the Office shall obtain information from all relevant market players in the sector and assess them in terms of the functioning of competition in these markets.

Waste management is currently undergoing major changes, in particular in the context of the transition to a green and sustainable economy. Therefore, it is essential that efficient competition prevails in the sector to enable undertakings to operate more effectively and at lower costs for consumers.

The Office decided to focus the sector inquiry on this area, firstly because it has dealt repeatedly with complaints regarding the waste management in recent years and secondly because of the forthcoming substantial legislative changes. The introduction of a deposit system for PET bottles and metal beverage containers is in a drafting process, as well as a change to the rules on landfilling of incinerable municipal waste, which should take place in 2030. Both of these changes shall have a major impact on competition. Therefore, the Office decided to thoroughly examine the sector.

The sector inquiry shall monitor and evaluate the ten-year period from 2013 to 2023 in the areas of waste collection, sorting, incineration and landfilling, focusing exclusively on municipal waste and packaging waste.

In the first phase of the inquiry, the Office will analyse the current regional waste management plans and will also approach the regional authorities with a request for information. The Office is going to examine the functioning of the individual markets, identify operators in the above-mentioned areas and request information from them. This shall include, in particular, contracting authorities, waste collection companies, operators of landfills and sorting lines, incinerators, waste-to-energy facilities and associations of undertakings operating in this area. The legislation affecting the waste management shall be analysed thoroughly, with a focus on competition aspects.

In the next phase, the data will be analysed and compared with data from the Czech Statistical Office and other sources. If in the meantime an amendment to the Packaging Act introducing a deposit system for PET bottles and metal beverage containers is adopted in the Czech Republic, the Office shall focus on the position of the newly established operator and possibly other aspects related to this issue.

The aim of the investigation is to monitor the market, its structure and the level of competition, to identify possible market dysfunctions, to formulate recommendations for solving competition concerns (on a legislative or non-legislative basis) and for enhancing competition in the markets subject to investigation, considering recommendations to be addressed to public contracting authorities (especially cities and municipalities) or consumers.

Press Unit of the Office
24/065