The European Commission has carried out unannounced antitrust inspections at the premises of a chocolate confectionery company in two EU member states.
The EU executive is concerned the company may have breached EU competition rules, which ban cartels and other restrictive business practices, and prohibit companies from abusing a dominant market position, the Commission disclosed on Monday night.
The Commission said its investigation is focusing on possible “market segmentation” — limiting the trade of goods between EU countries within the Single Market — and possible obstacles to buying products across multiple countries.
What happens next
Unannounced inspections are an early step in investigations into suspected anti-competitive behaviour and do not mean the company is guilty, the Commission said.
There is no legal deadline for completing inquiries of this kind, with the length of an investigation depending on factors such as complexity and the level of cooperation from the companies involved.
The Commission also said it offers an encrypted whistleblowing tool that allows individuals and companies to report suspected anti-competitive behaviour anonymously.
