Brussels, 19/12/2011 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 19 December, the Commission confirmed having made surprise inspections of TAP in Portugal and Brussels Airlines in Belgium last week, both suspected of price-fixing.
The inspections on 13 December were part of a European Commission investigation launched at the start of 2011 into code sharing, which enables airlines to cooperate on price-setting. The investigation initially looked at whether the sale of tickets by TAP and Brussels Airlines for their own flights from Belgium and Portugal respectively infringed EU law because in theory the two companies are competitors, but the Commission now thinks that the code sharing agreements go much further and both companies were in fact involved in price-fixing and restrictive trade practices, explains the European Commission in a press release. The Commission points out that the surprise inspections were carried out by EU officials and civil servants working for the Portuguese and Belgian competition authorities. The investigations are unlimited in terms of time and may be extended to give the companies time to properly defend themselves. (OL/transl.fl)