In issue No. 58 of 26 June 2026 of the State Gazette, the Law Supplementing the Consumer Protection Act (LSCPA) was promulgated. The Law creates a new Section IV in Chapter Four, entitled “Unjustified Increase in the Prices of Goods and Services” – Articles 68n, 68o and 68p.
The essence of the amendment is the introduction of an explicit prohibition on increasing the prices of goods and services offered to consumers where such increase is not economically justified.
- What constitutes a “price increase” under the new rules?
The new Article 68n of the LSCPA defines an “increase” as any rise in the final selling price of a good or service compared to the price applied by the same trader for the same good or service during a comparable preceding period.
In practical terms, this creates a new evidentiary obligation for businesses: during an inspection, the trader must be able to demonstrate how the previous price was formed, how the new price was formed, and what objective circumstances led to the change. The Law expressly requires information and evidence regarding the manner in which the price before the increase was determined, all elements forming that price and their monetary value, as well as the corresponding elements of the increased price.
- When is an increase economically justified?
An increase is economically justified where it is in a direct and proportionate causal link with one or more objective economic factors. The Law provides an indicative list of such factors: an increase in supply or production costs; an increase in labor costs; changes in the prices of energy, fuels or raw materials; changes in taxes, fees or other public obligations; changes in exchange rates or external economic conditions; as well as other factors beyond the trader’s control that have a material impact on costs or on the conditions for offering the goods or services.
The key point is “proportionality”. Not every increase in costs automatically justifies any increase in the price. For example, if the purchase price of a given product has increased by 3%, but the final selling price has been increased by 20%, the trader will need to explain and prove why the entire increase is economically justified. The control authority will assess this by comparing the price increase with the impact of the relevant factors on the trader’s costs or economic activity.
- What does this mean for businesses?
The new regime shifts the focus from a freely made commercial decision to change a price to a price-change decision that is capable of being supported by documents. Traders will need to maintain a clear internal audit trail for their pricing decisions – especially for goods and services aimed at end consumers. This includes price archives, data from supplier invoices, supplier contracts, cost calculations, information on labor, energy, transport and logistics costs, exchange-rate differences, tax changes, and other relevant factors.