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EU Raids Nielsen Offices
VNU has confirmed that its ACNielsen offices were raided last month by the European Commission , investigating claims that the research company's contract and price policies broke antitrust law. VNU says the raids were prompted by a complaint by recent antitrust case opponents Information Resources, Inc. (IRI).
IRI's $650 million case against ACNielsen was dismissed in January in US Federal District Court in New York. IRI immediately said it would appeal.
Five ACNielsen offices were visited, including sites in Belgium, Cyprus, the Netherlands and the UK. VNU said it was co-operating fully with the Commission's Directorate General for Competition, and was confident its practices complied fully with European law. Fines of up to 10% of annual turnover can result if a company is convicted of restricting competition or abusing a dominant position.
The raids are said to be a preliminary step intended to establish whether there is evidence pointing to a breach of the rules. VNU is online at www.vnu.com
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