The European Commission said on Thursday it had opened an investigation into suspected anti-competitive behavior by a number of companies in Europe's automotive electrical distribution sector.
"The Commission has reason to believe that the companies concerned may have violated European Union antitrust rules that prohibit cartels and restrictive business practices," the Commission's competition authority said in a statement.
The Commission said it had carried out surprise inspections at a number of companies, but did not name them or say in which countries they were operating. It said the inspections did not mean the companies were guilty of anti-competitive behavior.
The investigation is focused on automotive electrical distribution systems, known as wire harnesses, which link a car's computers to the various mechanical parts of the vehicle.
