Competition scrutiny of labour markets: the Portuguese Competition Court confirms competition fine in the software labour market case

In February 2025, the Portuguese Competition Authority (“PCA”) fined Inetum group companies for entering into bilateral no-poach agreements in the technology consulting sector. The Portuguese Competition Court (TCRS) upheld this decision on 27 March 2026. In March 2026, the PCA also fined APESPE RH for maintaining a no-poach clause in its Code of Ethics for nearly 40 years. These developments confirm the PCA’s approach to tackling restrictive labour market practices, as evidenced by the increasing number of investigations and sanctioning decisions that are now starting to be endorsed by the courts.

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