The European Commission said Tuesday it conducted unannounced inspections at an unnamed cardiovascular device company to investigate antitrust concerns.

The company is suspected of violating European Union rules that prohibit abuse of a dominant market position, the commission said in a statement.

EU rules on competition under the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union are intended to protect consumers from market position abuses such as imposing unfair prices or trading conditions, limiting production or technical development, or making contracts subject to acceptance of unrelated obligations.

Unannounced inspections are a preliminary investigative step into suspected anticompetitive practices, and companies have a right to be heard in antitrust proceedings, the commission said.

In recent years, EU antitrust regulators have carried out surprise inspections across a range of industries, including fashion, food and automotive.

EU officials and counterparts from the member state’s national competition authority conducted the inspections on the cardiovascular device company’s premises, according to the statement. The country was not specified.

The duration of the inspections will depend on the complexity of the case, the commission added.

A commission spokesperson declined to comment further on the matter.