Deutsche Börse and Nasdaq in the crosshairs of the EU antitrust investigation – Euractiv

Deutsche Börse and Nasdaq are being investigated as part of a European Union investigation into possible antitrust violations in the area of ​​financial derivatives.

A spokesman for Deutsche Börse said on Tuesday that the German stock exchange operator had been searched as part of the investigation, while a representative of Nasdaq said they had also been approached. Both companies said they were cooperating.

The European Commission said on Monday that it had carried out unannounced inspections of financial services firms in two EU member states over possible violations of antitrust rules. It did not, however, specify which companies were involved or how many.

“We do not comment on ongoing investigations,” added the Deutsche Börse spokesman.

A Stockholm-based Nasdaq spokesman declined to comment on which country or countries Nasdaq was contacted.

“We are aware of an investigation initiated by the European Commission related to the derivatives market. Nasdaq is committed to fully cooperating with the European Commission and assisting the relevant authorities in the investigation,” the person said.

Euronext, which operates stock exchanges in several cities, including Paris and Amsterdam, said it had not been subject to “any inspections or investigations” by the Commission.

Unannounced visits are a first step in investigating alleged anti-competitive practices and do not mean that the companies are guilty. According to the EU, there is no legal deadline by which investigations into such behavior must be completed.

If the checks reveal violations of EU antitrust law, this could lead to formal investigations and heavy fines for the companies involved.