EU cartel investigations have rocketed with 473 investigations launched in the last year, up from 134 the previous year. According to the research by Thomas Reuters, investigations most often relate to: Cartels and price-fixing, market monopolies and abuse of market dominance. The increase in investigations comes as the EC continues to crack down on antitrust behaviour.
“The European Commission is coming down hard on companies looking to gain an illegal and unfair advantage,” said Karen Williams, head of practical law competition at Thomson Reuters.
“The growth of e-commerce has been a driver of the rising number of investigations in recent months but this is just part of the European Commission’s current focus, as companies across the European economy continue to jostle for position and profits.”
The focus on e-commerce follows the Commission’s sector inquiry launched in 2015, which was published this May.
Full Content: City AM
Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.
