Memo: Antitrust: Commission confirms unannounced inspections at pharmaceutical companies

The European Commission can confirm that on 24 November Commission officials started inspections in several Member States at the premises of a number of pharmaceutical companies. The Commission has reason to believe that the provisions of the EC Treaty prohibiting restrictive business practices and/or the abuse of a dominant market position (Articles 81 and 82 of the EC Treaty) may have been infringed.