EU raids paper envelope industry for antitrust concern

The European Commission said on Thursday that its officials had carried out unannounced inspections at the premises of several European manufacturers of paper envelopes for antitrust concern.

"The commission has reasons to believe that the manufacturers concerned may have, amongst others, coordinated price increases and allocated customers on several European markets," it said in a statement.

The raids were launched last week and targeted companies in France, Denmark, Spain and Sweden. As a usual practice, the commission did not disclose the names of the companies involved.

Unannounced inspections are a preliminary step in investigations into suspected cartels. The fact that such inspections are carried out does not mean that the companies are guilty of anti-competitive behavior nor does it prejudge the outcome of the investigation, the commission said.

Source: Xinhua