A PYMNTS Company

EU: Regulators raid rail companies over suspected cartel

By  |  July 6, 2016
EU: Regulators raid rail companies over suspected cartel

European Union regulators raided several passenger rail transport companies on June 28 to investigate whether they may have taken part in a cartel to shut out competitors, the European Commission said on Wednesday.

    Get the Full Story

    Complete the form to unlock this article and enjoy unlimited free access to all PYMNTS content — no additional logins required.

    yesSubscribe to our daily newsletter, PYMNTS Today.

    By completing this form, you agree to receive marketing communications from PYMNTS and to the sharing of your information with our sponsor, if applicable, in accordance with our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions.

    Austrian railway operator OBB, which was headed by Christian Kern until he became the country’s chancellor in May, said it was among those raided by EU antitrust regulators. A spokeswoman said raids were carried out at various locations in Austria.

    “The Commission has concerns that the companies concerned may have entered into anti-competitive agreements aiming to shut out competing rail passenger transport operators from the market, in breach of EU antitrust rules,” the Commission said in a statement, without naming the companies.

    Such unannounced inspections are a preliminary step in an investigation into suspected cartels and do not mean the companies are necessarily guilty.

    EU regulators raided Austrian rail operators last November, including OBB, to investigate whether they had breached EU antitrust rules prohibiting cartels and restrictive practices.

    Full Content: Reuters

    Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.