Cyprus Competition Commission discusses 2027 budget and active market investigations

The Cyprus Competition Protection Commission (CPC) presented its 2027 budget of 2.75 million euros to the Parliament’s Finance and Budget Committee on November 13, 2026. Commission President Eva Pantzari reported that the authority is currently investigating fuel pricing, including wholesale and retail costs for 95 and 98 octane petrol and diesel. Additionally, the CPC has launched a sector inquiry into digital delivery and ordering platforms to assess competition, while completing a study on the production and distribution of goat, sheep, and cow milk, which followed the 2022 PDO halloumi production agreement.

During the session, lawmakers expressed concerns regarding market oligopolies exacerbated by the island's small economy, as well as recent acquisitions of private hospitals. Pantzari noted that between January and October 2026, the commission received eight official complaints, alongside various anonymous reports, though some lacked sufficient evidence for investigation. The committee is now moving toward formulating recommendations to improve the competitiveness of the dairy sector, while simultaneously tracking a significant surge in merger notifications throughout 2026.