The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has announced the closure of its investigation into the German company Symrise AG, specializing in fragrances and flavors, for alleged anti-competitive practices in the supply of fragrances and their ingredients. This decision marks the end of an investigation initiated in March 2023 that involved several companies in the sector.
The investigation, known as "CMA Investigation 51257", focused on possible infringements of the Competition Act 1998, specifically in relation to illegal agreements between competitors. Although the CMA extended its investigation in January 2024 to include alleged illegal coordination in the hiring of personnel by other companies in the sector, Symrise was explicitly excluded from this additional phase of the investigation.
Symrise has maintained from the beginning that the accusations against it were unfounded and has fully cooperated with the authorities throughout the process. The company also filed an appeal with the General Court of the European Union in May 2023, questioning the legality of the inspections carried out by the European Commission at its facilities.
With the closure of this investigation by the CMA, Symrise reinforces its position that it has not participated in anti-competitive practices and remains committed to complying with competition regulations in all markets in which it operates.
This outcome could also influence parallel investigations carried out by other competition authorities, such as the European Commission and the Swiss Competition Commission, which are still ongoing and affect other companies in the sector.