On Thursday 20 December, the European Commission sent a statement of objections to four banks that were alleged to have reached an agreement between 2009 and 2015 to distort competition in the secondary market trading of supra-sovereign, sovereign and agency bonds ('SSA bonds') denominated in US dollars in the European Economic Area.
The institution fears that, in the meantime, banks, whose names have not been disclosed, have exchanged sensitive commercial information, especially via online discussion forums. The Commission also suspects them of having coordinated their prices. Only some negotiators are covered by the letter.
If these practices were found to exist as a result of the institution's investigation, they would be contrary to EU law rules on anticompetitive business practices.
The banks concerned will now be able to examine the objections addressed to them in order to be able to respond to them. (Original version in French by Lucas Tripoteau)