Economy
#BMW: Commission raid German car companies in cartel investigation
The European Commission confirmed today (20 October) that as of 16 October 2017 its officials carried out an unannounced inspection at the premises of a car manufacturer in Germany as part of a cartel investigation.
The inspection is related to Commission concerns that several German car manufacturers may have violated EU antitrust rules that prohibit cartels and restrictive business practices (Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union). The Commission officials were accompanied by their counterparts from the German national competition authority.
The European Commission has cracked down on cartels. It recently fined truck makers who colluded on pricing nearly €4 billion. The truck makers colluded for 14 years on truck pricing and on passing on the costs of compliance with stricter emission rules.
Inspections are a preliminary step in investigations of suspected anti-competitive practices. The fact that the Commission carries out inspections does not mean that the inspected companies are guilty of anti-competitive behaviour, nor does it prejudge the outcome of the investigation itself.
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