Administrative investigation agencies conduct their investigations based on a purpose description.
The purpose description defines the scope of the investigation: the specific product or service, conduct, persons involved, time period and/or geographical area covered by the investigation.
The purpose description thus also determines the limits of the investigation. If the purpose description pertains to product A, the obligation to cooperate extends only to the investigation of product A, and not automatically also to product B. It is therefore important to determine, together with the lawyer, what does and what does not fall within the scope of the investigation purpose.
Administrative investigation agencies assess for themselves on site whether particular documents meet the purpose description. In practice, they tend to interpret this broadly. It is important to stay close to the investigators to check whether the documents they intend to examine do in fact fall within the scope of the purpose description.
Criminal investigation agencies proceed on the basis of a suspicion of a specific criminal offence. They are permitted to conduct their own search during the raid. They can confiscate or copy any items eligible for that purpose (objects, physical documents, digital data carriers, etc.).
