The EU Commission (EC) is carrying out unannounced inspections at the premises of non-alcoholic drinks companies due to concerns that they may have “violated EU antitrust rules,” with misconduct possibly “still ongoing.”

The Commission is investigating whether the drinks businesses are involved in restricting the trade of goods in the single market and market segmentation, breaching antitrust rules that “prohibit cartels and restrictive practices, and abuses of dominant position.”

“The investigations concern conducts that may potentially still be ongoing and involve several member states,” says the EC in a statement.

“The EC officials were accompanied by their counterparts from the relevant national competition authorities.”

Preliminary investigation

A spokesperson for the Commission tells Food Ingredients First that it cannot comment at this stage on the specifics of the case, including the member states and companies involved. 

Unannounced inspections are a preliminary investigatory step into suspected anticompetitive practices. According to the EC, such inspections do not mean the companies are guilty of anticompetitive behavior.

Companies must reply to the request within the timeframe indicated by the EC. There is no legal deadline for completing inquiries into anticompetitive conduct. According to the EC, their duration depends on several factors, including the complexity of each case, the extent to which the companies concerned cooperate with the EC, and the exercise of the rights of defense.

As part of its investigations, the EC also revealed that it has sent a formal request for information “in parallel” to a company in the personal care sector.