Memo: Antitrust: Commission opens formal proceedings against sanofi-aventis for possible procedural infringement

The European Commission opened a formal investigation under EC Treaty antitrust procedural rules into whether sanofi-aventis SA obstructed illegally an inspection of its premises in January 2008. The proceedings centre on sanofi-aventis' refusal to let inspectors examine and copy relevant documents until the French authorities produced a national search warrant. The inspection formed part of the competition inquiry on the pharmaceutical sector.