COMMISSION STINGS DANISH SUGAR FIRM OVER HIGH PRICES.

Despite the normal confidential nature of anti-trust proceedings, the European Commission's Competition Directorate-General recently acted specifically on reports in the Danish press concerning alleged abuse of dominant market position by a Danish sugar manufacturer. Officials from DG IV carried out a dawn raid on the offices of Danisco, the big Danish sugar manufacturer, as part of an inquiry into possible pricing abuses in Denmark and Sweden. EU anti-trust officials have not launched a cartel investigation though, the Commission confirmed on May 28, as the price abuse charges levelled against Danisco do not involve other firms, but simply high prices charged through abusing a dominant position in the market under Article 82 of the Amsterdam Treaty (ex-Article 86 EC). The Commission also confirmed that the investigation is not based on any recent acquisitions by the Danish firm. "It is not related to any takeovers", a spokesman for Competition Commission Karel Van Miert said, before adding that the EU was cooperating with Danish authorities on the case. He said that the Commission acted after reading a newspaper...