Ferrero raided by EU authorities in anti-trust investigation

Italian chocolate giant Ferrero was raided by the European Commission earlier this week as part of an ongoing antitrust investigation at two of its EU sites, according to the company which has confirmed earlier media reports.

A Ferrero spokesperson told Bloomberg on Wednesday that it had been subjected to “on-site inspections” by Commission officials at its offices, without providing additional details on the location or timing of the raids.

The group, which makes globally known products like Nutella, was founded in Alba, Italy, and is owned by Giovanni Ferrero, although the company is currently headquartered in Luxembourg.

“The company is fully cooperating and providing the information requested,” Ferrero told Bloomberg.

The reports come two days after the Commission announced it had conducted unannounced antitrust inspections at the premises of a company active in the chocolate and confectionery sector in two different member states.

The Commission suspects practices that may have violated competition rules, specifically those whereby manufacturers prevent products from being traded freely across the EU single market – a practice known as territorial supply constraints.

Such inspections are the first step in investigating potential anticompetitive practices and do not necessarily mean that the company is guilty of wrongdoing. According to the Commission, there is no legal deadline to complete the inquiries, and the duration depends on a case-by-case basis.

(adm, jp)