The European Commission (EC) said that is carrying out unannounced inspections at the premises of companies in the data center construction sector.

It has also sent out official requests for information to several such firms, all over concerns of "a possible collusion in the form of no-poach agreements" - that is, secret deals to not to solicit another company's employees, or to fix wages or other terms of employment.

The EC did not disclose the companies targeted and noted that the preliminary step does not necessarily mean that the companies are guilty of anticompetitive behavior.

The raids were carried out in tandem with relevant national competition authority counterparts - which nations were involved was not disclosed.

There is no time limit to such an investigation, so the duration of further raids and queries is unknown.

The EC also said that any companies that have been involved in a secret cartel could get immunity from fines, or a significant reduction in fines, in return for reporting the conduct and cooperating with the Commission throughout its investigation.

Individuals and companies can report anticompetitive behavior on an anonymous basis through the Commission's whistle-blower tool.

This includes employees aware of no-poach agreements and/or wage-fixing practices between employers.