Brussels Regulatory Brief: February 2024

Antitrust and Competition

The European Commission Carried Out Unannounced Inspections in the Tires Sector

On 30 January 2024, the Commission conducted dawn raids at the premises of several companies active in the tires sector, such as tire manufacturers, in a number of Member States, including Belgium, Finland, and Germany. The Commission officials were accompanied by their counterparts from the relevant national competition authorities where the inspections were carried out.

The Commission has concerns that the inspected companies may have breached EU antitrust rules that prohibit cartels and restrictive business practices (Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU)). In particular, it is concerned that the companies may have engaged in price coordination via public communications concerning new replacement tires for passenger cars, vans, trucks, and buses sold in the European Economic Area.