The Commission initiated an investigation last week into the inter-bank fees charged by MasterCard in relation to payments made by card-holders from non-EEA countries, restrictions placed by MasterCard on retailers attempting to reduce the cross-border fees they pay and MasterCard’s business rules and practices.

The Commission is concerned that MasterCard’s behaviour is anti-competitive, with inter-bank fees being largely passed on to retailers, harming EU consumers and affecting cross-border business.

The Commission press release announcing the investigation is available here.