EU antitrust watchdog raids online food, groceries delivery companies

BRUSSELS/AMSTERDAM, July 6 (Reuters) – Several online food and grocery delivery companies in two EU countries have been raided over concerns they may be in a cartel, the EU antitrust regulator said on Wednesday, in a move that could put the businesses at risk of hefty fines.

The European Commission, which acts as the competition enforcer in the 27-country bloc, did not name the companies or the countries targeted by the raids.

“The investigation concerns an alleged agreement or concerted practice to share national markets for the online ordering and delivery of food, groceries and other consumer goods in the European Union,” the EU antitrust agency said in a statement.

Just Eat Takeaway TKWY.AS, the biggest online meal delivery company operating in the EU, said it was not aware of any EU investigation into its activities.

“To the best of our knowledge, Just Eat Takeaway.com is not currently under investigation by the European Commission (formal or informal) in respect of any possible deal with other online food delivery providers to ‘share national markets’,” a company spokesperson said.

A spokesperson for Uber UBER.N, which owns the Uber Eats food delivery service, said it had not been targeted by the EU.

Companies found guilty of breaching EU antitrust rules face fines up to 10% of their global turnover.