EU watchdog inspects car makers in Germany

The European Commission on Monday confirmed it had sent teams to inspect the premises of unnamed car manufacturers in Germany, days after it was revealed BMW’s Munich headquarters had been raided in an antitrust investigation.

In a statement, the body said the visits were “related to Commission concerns that several German car manufacturers may have violated EU antitrust rules that prohibit cartels and restrictive business practices”.

Germany’s national competition watchdog accompanied the European inspectors.

The latest inspections follow German media investigations which claim leading carmakers such as BMW, Volkswagen, Porsche, Audi and Daimler have colluded in anti-competitive practices for decades.