The European Commission sent Statement of Objections to suspected participants in a cartel for the supply of computer CD and DVD drives. The Commission has concerns that those suppliers may have coordinated their behavior in bidding events organised by two major original equipment manufacturers for optical disk drives used in personal computers (desktops and notebooks) and in servers.

The European Commission has informed thirteen companies supplying optical disk drives (read or write data on CDs and DVDs) in the European Economic Area (EEA) of its preliminary view that they may have infringed EU antitrust rules by participating in a worldwide cartel. The Commission takes the preliminary view that the companies concerned engaged for at least five years in bid rigging, which is one of the most serious breaches of EU antitrust rules.

The Commission also highlighted that the duration of cartel investigations varies according to the complexity of the case, the number of markets and companies involved and whether they cooperate with the Commission. A statement of objections is a formal step in Commission investigations into suspected violations of EU rules that prohibit cartels and restrictive business practices (Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and Article 53 of the European Economic Area Agreement).

If this behavior is established, may have ultimately affected customers that bought optical disk drives manufactured by the companies concerned. The Commission has concerns that those suppliers may have coordinated their behaviour in bidding events organised by two major original equipment manufacturers for optical disk drives used in personal computers (desktops and notebooks) and in servers. Also, the sending of a Statement of Objections does not prejudge the final outcome of the investigation.