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Antitrust · Confectionery · EU Commission · Ferrero
Italian chocolate giant Ferrero confirmed earlier media reports that the European Commission conducted unannounced antitrust inspections at two of its EU sites this week, investigating potential violations of competition rules, specifically territorial supply constraints.
A Ferrero spokesperson told Bloomberg that the company is fully cooperating and providing the requested information, without disclosing specific locations or timing of the raids. The Commission had announced these inspections two days prior, targeting a company in the chocolate and confectionery sector across two member states, suspecting practices that prevent products from being traded freely across the EU single market.
These inspections are the initial step in investigating potential anticompetitive practices and do not imply guilt, with no legal deadline for the inquiry, as duration depends on a case-by-case basis.
