EU Raids Cardiovascular Device Firm Amid Antitrust Concerns

On Tuesday, European Union (EU) antitrust regulators conducted surprise inspections at a cardiovascular medical device company located within an EU member state. These actions were taken due to concerns that the company may have engaged in practices that abused its market dominance, potentially violating the EU’s antitrust regulations.

In an official statement, the EU’s competition enforcement body, the European Commission, confirmed these unannounced visits to the company’s premises. The statement explained that the Commission was investigating the company’s activities in the field of medical devices for cardiovascular applications and expressed concerns that the company might have breached EU antitrust rules prohibiting the misuse of a dominant market position.

The European Commission, serving as the antitrust authority for the 27 EU member countries, adhered to its policy of not disclosing the specific company or the country involved. It’s important to note that companies found to have violated EU antitrust laws can face fines of up to 10% of their global turnover.

These surprise inspections or ‘Dawn Raids’ are often among the first steps in the investigative process when there are suspicions of anticompetitive behavior. It should be noted that the Commission’s actions do not presuppose the company’s guilt regarding anticompetitive practices, nor do they predetermine the outcome of the ongoing investigation.

Related: EC Europa