McDonald’s competition probe sought in Europe

Three Italian consumer organisations have urged EU competition regulators to investigate McDonald’s franchise system in Europe, a month after the opening of an EU inquiry into the US fast food company’s tax deals with Luxembourg.

Codacons, Movimento Difesa del Cittadino, and Cittadinanzattiva filed their complaint with the European Commission on Monday, urging the EU competition enforcer to step in and look at a system, which they alleged was anti-competitive.

“The system construed by McDonald’s raises strong concerns under anti-trust [competition] laws,” the group said in its 46-page complaint seen by Reuters.