Brussels, 01/10/2012 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has announced that on 26 September, in cooperation with national competition authorities, it carried out spot checks at the premises of several purchasers of scrap batteries and other lead scrap for the production of recycled lead in several member states. The Commission says it has reason to believe that the companies concerned may have violated Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), which prohibits cartels and restrictive business practices. Unannounced inspections are a preliminary step in investigations into suspected cartels and do not necessarily mean that the companies are guilty of anti-competitive behaviour, and do not prejudge the outcome of the investigation itself. (FG/transl.fl)