European Union authorities launched a series of raids on major European truck makers on January 18 2011 as part of an investigation into whether the companies colluded in forming a cartel, the Voice of America said.

The European Commission is investigating Germany's Daimler and MAN, Sweden's Volvo and Scania, and Iveco trucks owned by Italy's Fiat Industrial.

The five truck makers confirmed their offices had been searched and they were under investigation.

The Commission said in a media statement that it "has reason to believe that the companies concerned may have violated EU antitrust rules that prohibit cartels and restrictive business practices and/or the abuse of a dominant market position (Articles 101 and 102 respectively of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU)".

The Commission officials were accompanied by their counterparts from the relevant national competition authorities, the statement said.

Unannounced inspections are a preliminary step into suspected anticompetitive practices.

"The fact that the Commission carries out such inspections does not mean that the companies are guilty of anti-competitive behaviour nor does it prejudge the outcome of the investigation itself. The Commission respects the rights of defence, in particular the right of companies to be heard in antitrust proceedings," the European Commission said.

There is no legal deadline to complete inquiries into anticompetitive conduct. Their duration depends on a number of factors, including the complexity of each case, the extent to which the companies concerned co-operate with the Commission and the exercise of the rights of defence, the statement said.