EU raids sugar companies in collusion probe

BRUSSELS: The European Commission said on Thursday it had carried out surprise inspections on several sugar companies on concerns they may have breached anti-trust rules.

The inspections were carried out late last month, it said, without giving further details of which companies or member states were involved.

The probe covers the market for white sugar.

"The Commission has reasons to believe that the companies concerned may have violated EU antitrust rules that prohibit cartels and restrictive business practices," it said in a statement.

Such inspections are a first step in any Commission investigation into anti-competitive practices but do not necessarily indicate wrongdoing.