Slovak Antitrust Authority Raids Advertising Agencies in Suspected Competition Probe

Slovakia's Antimonopoly Office has conducted inspections at several advertising agencies this week, with at least two firms confirming that officials visited their premises. The Antimonopoly Office of the Slovak Republic (known by its Slovak acronym PMÚ) is the country's primary competition regulator, responsible for protecting the market against anti-competitive agreements and other unfair trade practices. The precise focus of the investigation has not been disclosed, but such inspections — commonly referred to as dawn raids in competition law — typically signal suspicions of price-fixing, market-sharing, or other cartel-like behavior among firms operating in the same sector. The development reflects what observers describe as a more active enforcement posture by the PMÚ, with businesses reporting a more visible presence of the agency's inspectors in the field in recent times.