EC confirmed unannounced sugar sector inspections

Brussels, 17-5-2013 — /europawire.eu/ — The European Commission can confirm that on 23 April 2013 Commission officials undertook unannounced inspections at the premises of companies active in the sugar industry in several Member States. The inspections relate to the supply of white sugar. The Commission has reasons to believe that the companies concerned 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 relevant national competition authorities.

The inspections relate to the supply of white sugar in its various forms.

Unannounced inspections are a preliminary step into suspected anticompetitive practices. The fact that the Commission carries out such inspections does not mean that the companies are guilty of anti-competitive behaviour nor does it prejudge the outcome of the investigation itself. The Commission respects the rights of defence, in particular the right of companies to be heard in antitrust proceedings.

There is no legal deadline to complete inquiries into anticompetitive conduct. Their duration depends on a number of factors, including the complexity of each case, the extent to which the undertakings concerned co-operate with the Commission and the exercise of the rights of defence.

###