EC in Deutsche Bahn competition probe

EC in Deutsche Bahn competition probe    The European Commission said last week its officials and counterparts from the German competition authority undertook unannounced inspections at the premises of Deutsche Bahn AG and some of its subsidiaries.
   “The commission has reason to believe that Deutsche Bahn AG may have breached EU antitrust rules that prohibit the abuse of a dominant market position (Article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union). Unannounced inspections are a preliminary step into suspected anticompetitive practices,” the EC said.
   “It has been alleged that Deutsche Bahn group, and in particular Deutsche Bahn Energie, the de facto sole supplier of electricity for traction trains in Germany, would be giving preferential treatment to the group’s rail freight arm.'
   The EC noted “such inspections do not mean that the companies are guilty of anticompetitive behavior, nor does it prejudge the outcome of the investigation itself. The commission respects the rights of defense, in particular the right of companies to be heard in antitrust proceedings.”