Symrise Appeals European Fee Search in March – WWD

PARIS – German fragrance and flavors provider Symrise has filed an enchantment with the Court docket of Justice of the European Union towards the search carried out on behalf of the European Fee between March 7 and 9.

As reported, the world’s 4 main fragrance suppliers – Symrise, Firmenich, Givaudan and IFF – are concerned in an antitrust inquiry. In March, the businesses confirmed that they’re a part of an investigation into doable collusion by the European Fee.

“We take into account the search to be illegal below a number of authorized features,” Symrise stated in an announcement on Thursday. “The EU Fee has not sufficiently defined what info it allegedly has that makes it seem doable that Symrise may be concerned in transactions that violate antitrust legislation. The thing and objective of the search can also be not described in ample element. It’s merely a replica of basic assertion.”

Symrise stated the Fee now has till July 26 to put in writing to the ECJ and clarify why the search executed was ample. The Fee has additionally been requested to elucidate absolutely its accusations concerning Symrise.

The corporate stated the Fee searched numerous paperwork between June 21 and 23, with Symrise attorneys current, and that they retained solely a “marginal quantity” of them.

“All different digital paperwork considered had been deleted once more within the presence of our attorneys,” stated Symrise. “We now firmly imagine that Symrise can’t be the goal of the continuing investigations.”

In March, the Fee revealed it had carried out unannounced inspections of the premises of corporations and one affiliation lively within the perfume business in quite a few EU member states. It stated it’s looking for out if there’s any collusion linked to the provision of perfume and flavors components.

The fee didn’t launch names of corporations below investigation, however the 4 suppliers confirmed they had been a part of the raid.

Symrise is the primary of them to provoke an enchantment with the Court docket of Justice.