Brussels, 09/11/2007 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has confirmed that on 8 November 2007, it carried out surprise inspections at the premises of manufacturers of cathode ray tubes (CRTs). CRTs are used in television sets and computer monitors. The Commission has reason to believe that the companies concerned may have violated EC Treaty rules on cartels and restrictive business practices (Article 81).
As always in such cases, the Commission has provided no details about which companies were inspected. Concerted action in Asia and the United States was carried out at the same time. In South Korea on Thursday, the authorities inspected the premises of Samsung SDI (part of the Samsung Electronics multinational), and in Japan, inspections were carried out at the premises of MT Picture Display, a subsidiary of Matsushita Electric Industrial. Japanese newspaper Nikkei Sangyo Shimbun reports that other inspections were carried out in the same industry in the United States on the same day. European manufacturer Panasonic has reportedly not been affected. According to a communication from the Japanese authorities, the case concerns alleged market fixing at global level from 2005 or earlier to prevent CRT prices from falling in the face of rising demand for flat screens. The European Commission's inspections are the first stage in an investigation of a suspected cartel and do not prejudge the outcome of the investigation. No deadline has been laid down for these procedures. (C.D.)