Press Release – The General Rapporteur of the Competition Council indicates that surprise visits and seizures were carried out in the market for compound feed for the poultry sector and related markets

Rabat, December 5, 2025 – The investigation and inquiry services of the Competition Council carried out surprise and simultaneous visits and seizures on December 4, 2025, at five entities operating in the market for compound feed for the poultry sector and related markets, including that of chicks, based on suspicions of anticompetitive practices in these markets.

These surprise visits and seizures were conducted with the authorization of the Public Prosecutor, and with the assistance of judicial police officers from the National Judicial Police Brigade designated for this purpose, in accordance with the provisions of Article 72 of Law No. 104-12 on price freedom and competition, as amended and supplemented.

It should be noted that at this stage, the surprise visits and seizures conducted do not prejudge the existence or non-existence of the alleged practices or the guilt of the entities concerned. Indeed, only the deliberative bodies of the Competition Council can, after a thorough adversarial investigation respecting the defense rights of the parties concerned, rule on the validity of the practices if the elements of the investigation and inquiry establish their existence.

For reasons related to preserving the defense rights of the visited entities, the Competition Council will not, for the time being, make any comments on their identities or on the practices subject to the visits and seizures.

As a reminder and in accordance with the provisions of Article 16 of Law No. 20-13 on the Competition Council, as amended and supplemented, the latter has investigation and inquiry services that conduct the necessary investigations and inquiries for the application of the law on price freedom and competition regarding anticompetitive practices and the control of economic concentration operations.

In this context, the surprise visits and seizures regulated by the aforementioned Article 72 constitute an investigative tool that allows for the collection of on-site evidence and information necessary for the investigation of cases related to anticompetitive practices or failure to notify economic concentration operations to the Competition Council (Gun jumping).