Ferrero confirms EU antitrust raids over suspected chocolate market abuses

Ferrero said European Commission officials were carrying out on-site inspections at its offices and that it was fully cooperating, confirming a rare antitrust raid that could test how far the chocolate maker has pushed cross-border sales in Europe.

The Commission said on April 13, 2026, that it had launched unannounced inspections in two EU member states at the premises of a company active in the chocolate confectionery sector. It said investigators were looking at possible violations of Articles 101 and 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, including market segmentation, restrictions on trade between member states and obstacles to multi-country purchases. The Commission stressed that dawn raids are only a preliminary step and do not mean a company is guilty.

Ferrero’s response effectively identified it as the target after Bloomberg reported the group was under scrutiny. The company is headquartered in Luxembourg, at 16, route de Trèves in Senningerberg, and it operates on a scale that gives any competition probe broad commercial implications. Ferrero says it was founded in Alba, Italy, in 1946 and now sells more than 35 brands in more than 170 countries, a footprint that depends heavily on distribution rules, retailer relationships and pricing discipline across national borders.

The Commission’s focus suggests regulators may be examining whether Ferrero, or another chocolate producer operating in the same space, tried to keep goods from moving freely inside the single market or limited buyers from sourcing across borders. That would go beyond a routine compliance check. In the Commission’s view, practices that split markets by country can keep prices higher, reduce choice for retailers and weaken competition between national distributors.

If the inquiry leads to a finding of infringement, the outcome could include fines, tighter compliance obligations or changes to how products are sold and supplied across Europe. Even without a final infringement decision, a probe of this kind can influence behavior quickly, as suppliers and retailers adjust contracts and sourcing plans to avoid being caught in a broader investigation.

Brussels has already shown that it will punish confectionery and consumer-goods companies for blocking cross-border trade. On May 23, 2024, the Commission fined Mondelēz International €337.5 million for hindering the cross-border trade of chocolate, biscuits and coffee products between member states. In 2019, it fined AB InBev €200.409 million for restricting cross-border beer sales. Those cases show that market segmentation in everyday consumer goods is not a technicality for EU regulators, but a competition issue that can carry major financial and operational consequences.