European Commission Conducts Unannounced Inspections of the Online Food Delivery Sector

According to the press release by the European Commission (“Commission”) on its official website dated 21.11.2023, the Commission is carrying out unannounced inspections of the premises of companies active in online ordering and delivery of food, groceries, and other consumer goods in two Member States.

The Commission is concerned that these companies may have breached EU antitrust rules (Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union), which prohibit cartels and restrictive trade practices.

Accordingly;

• Unannounced inspections are a preliminary step towards the investigation of suspected anti-competitive practices. The fact that the Commission carries out such inspections does not mean that companies are guilty of anti-competitive behavior.
• There is no legal deadline for the completion of anti-competitive behavior investigations.
• Under the Commission's leniency program, companies involved in a collusive cartel may be granted exemption from fines or significant reductions in fines in exchange for reporting the conduct and cooperating with the Commission throughout the investigation.

You can access the press release here.

Kind regards,

Zumbul Attorneys-at-Law

info@zumbul.av.tr