Casablanca – The Competition Council issued 202 decisions and opinions last year, according to its 2025 annual report, covering economic concentration, suspected competition violations, market regulation and advisory work.
It also imposed financial penalties totaling MAD 43.385 million ($4,43 million) across six cases involving anti-competitive practices and failures to notify economic concentration transactions in advance.
More than 94% of the council’s decisions and opinions concerned economic concentration operations, reflecting the weight of mergers and acquisitions in its work.
The council operates under Article 166 of Morocco’s Constitution and Laws No. 104.12 and No. 20.13, which establish its powers and responsibilities.
Council approves 185 economic concentration operations
The council authorized 185 economic concentration operations out of 190 decisions it issued in this area in 2025. The approved transactions had a combined value of nearly MAD 2,056.7 billion ($209,93 billion), while associated domestic investments reached MAD 56.92 billion ($5,81billion), according to the report.
Companies sought to diversify their activities and expand into new markets in around 37% of these operations. Other transactions aimed to integrate economic activities, strengthen production capacity and improve industrial performance.
The council used simplified and expedited procedures to process 73.6% of submitted files, allowing it to handle the relevant transactions more quickly. Operations involving the acquisition of exclusive control accounted for 61% of economic concentration transactions, representing 113 operations.
Services and manufacturing accounted for 55% of external development operations, followed by healthcare and financial services.
The council also pursued investigations into suspected anti-competitive practices through unannounced visits and seizures, after obtaining the necessary authorizations from the public prosecutor’s office.
In June 2025, investigators targeted two companies operating in financial and accounting auditing and related services. In December, they inspected five major companies active in the market for compound feed used in the poultry industry.
Fines reach MAD 43.4 million ($4,43 million) as council issues six advisory opinions
The council ruled on six cases involving anti-competitive practices in 2025, imposing financial penalties totaling MAD 43.385 million ($4,43 million).
Two referrals concerned suspected anti-competitive practices in Morocco’s digital platforms market for ordering and delivering meals, as well as the market for clinker supplies, a key material in cement production.
The four remaining cases involved companies that failed to notify the council in advance of economic concentration operations, breaching Articles 12 and 14 of Law No. 104.12 on freedom of prices and competition.
Beyond enforcement, the council issued six advisory opinions on market regulation and competition across several economic sectors.
These covered the prices of construction materials used in public works, a draft decree on medicine pricing, and studies on food distribution channels, the flour and milling market, and medicine distribution.
The council also warned several professional bodies after identifying indicators of possible coordination on prices and fees. The warnings targeted professionals in photography, sworn translation, cafés and restaurants.
The council called on these professionals to respect the principle of free pricing and refrain from coordinating or agreeing on uniform rates. Its warnings formed part of broader efforts to raise awareness and prevent practices that could undermine competition.
