By Decision of the Board of the AdC of 3 June 2009, an infringement proceeding was opened based on two complaints submitted to the Competition Authority by the companies (i) Iberlim - Sociedade Técnica de Limpezas, S.A. and (ii) Refer E.P., against the companies Conforlimpa (Tejo) Multiserviços, S.A. and Number One - Multi Services, Lda.
The complainants accused the companies in question, both active in the cleaning services sector, of colluding in various public tenders in violation of the provisions of Article 4(1) of Law no. 18/2003 of 11 June.
The Competition Authority, in a decision handed down on 1 June 2011, found these industrial cleaning companies guilty of colluding in the preparation of bids for public procurement procedures for cleaning services between February 2006 and November 2007 and of exchanging sensitive information on the content of these bids.
The Competition Authority thus proved the violation of Article 4 of Law No. 18/2003, of 11 June 2003, since they had participated in a concerted practice which had the object of preventing, distorting or restricting competition in a sensitive manner.