The European Commission is carrying out unannounced antitrust inspections at the premises of companies active in the construction chemicals sector in several Member States.
The Commission has concerns that the inspected companies 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 construction chemicals concerned by the inspection are chemical additives for cement and chemical admixtures for concrete and mortar. These are ingredients that are added to cement, concrete and mortar to modify and improve their properties and provide them with specific qualities.
The Commission officials were accompanied by their counterparts from the relevant national competition authorities of the Member States where the inspections were carried out. Today's inspections were conducted in coordination with the UK Competition and Markets Authority and the Turkish Competition Authority. The Commission has also been in contact with the United States Department of Justice, Antitrust Division.
Unannounced inspections are a preliminary investigatory 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.
Under the Commission's leniency programme companies that have been involved in a secret cartel may be granted immunity from fines or significant reductions in fines in return for reporting the conduct and cooperating with the Commission throughout its investigation. Individuals and companies can report cartel or other anti-competitive behaviour on an anonymous basis through the Commission's whistle-blower tool. Further information on the Commission's leniency programme and whistle-blower tool is available on DG Competition's website.
