Press Release 11/2025
September 30, 2025

The Portuguese Competition Authority (AdC) was awarded a 4-star (“Very Good”) rating in the 2025 edition of Global Competition Review’s (GCR) Rating Enforcement, a leading international benchmark publication in the field of competition law and policy.
The AdC’s 2024 enforcement record was recognised with a 4-star rating, with only six competition authorities worldwide receiving a higher classification.
According to GCR, “the AdC has entered a more assertive phase, combining a record level of merger control with decisive interventions across several areas.”

The AdC issued a record 93 merger decisions – over 13% more than in the previous year – marking the highest number of notifications and decisions in the past decade. Notably, the AdC prohibited Vodafone’s acquisition of Nowo – the first prohibition decision in several years – and adopted five conditional clearance decisions.
In the antitrust field, the AdC imposed fines totalling €67.2 million for anti-competitive practices in sectors such as payment services, healthcare, technology consulting, and audiovisual production. Key cases included the €13.9 million fine imposed on SIBS for abuse of dominance, as well as two cartel decisions amounting to €22.8 million in fines.
GCR also highlighted the strength of the AdC’s track record in court, with an 86% success rate before the national judiciary.

Alongside enforcement, the AdC further reinforced its role in international debate on future competition policy challenges, with pioneering initiatives on Artificial Intelligence and Sustainability, while maintaining strong engagement with Portuguese society through its campaign “20 Years, 20 Cities – Competition comes to you!”.
According to AdC President, Nuno Cunha Rodrigues, “this international distinction, which we are proud to gain in 2025, demonstrates the confidence that the global competition community places in the AdC’s work. It is also a clear sign that we are better protecting consumers and businesses, while promoting more competitive and fairer markets in Portugal.”

GCR’s Rating Enforcement assesses the performance of competition authorities worldwide on an annual basis, drawing on both self-reporting and the views of external observers, thereby recognising best practices and advances in competition law enforcement.