An agreement to raise the price of pastizzi (cheese/pea cakes) by 33 per cent would be illegal, the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority said.

It was referring to reports in the media where it is being stated that there was an agreement between a number of producers of pastizzi to increase the price by 33%.

Price fixing agreements are prohibited under the Competition Act and any such action amounts to a serious infringement of the Competition Act, the authority said.

Producers must determine independently the prices at which they sell their products to their customers.

Should the Office for Competition consider that an infringement of the relevant articles of the Competition Act may have occurred, the Office will proceed accordingly against the undertakings concerned in terms of the Competition Act.