On 12 and 13 November 2008, the European Commission (Commission) carried out unannounced inspections at the premises of a business association and enterprise, both active in the biomedical analysis market in France. The inspections, which follow a complaint from clinical laboratory Labco, are a preliminary stage of the Commission's investigations into possible illegal restrictive practices in breach of Articles 81 and/or 82 of the EC Treaty. According to French newspaper Les Echos, the premises of the Order des pharmaciens (France's National Order of Pharmacists) have been subject to a number of searches. The duration of the investigation is dependant on the complexity of the case and the co-operation of those involved.