Suez Environnement Seeks to Annul Commission Dawn Raid Decision

Suez Environnement and Lyonnaise des eaux France have lodged an appeal in the General Court against a European Commission decision to conduct unannounced on-site inspections at their premises. The inspections were conducted in April 2010 as part of the investigation into possible anti-competitive practices in the French water and sanitation services sector.

Commission officials, in co-operation with the French competition authority, conducted the dawn raids under a Commission decision which required both Suez Environnement and Lyonnaise des eaux to submit to the inspection.

The appellants claim that:

• they were deprived of their fundamental rights and freedoms (in particular that they were not notified of any national judicial authorisation and were consequently deprived of access to a judge to seek redress);