EU Competition

🔵 Today, we kick off the revision process of Regulation 1/2003 – and it begins with you❗ To launch this process, we’re opening: ✅ A Call for Evidence ✅ A Public Consultation Why now❓ For over 20 years, these rules have ensured that EU antitrust enforcement is effective, efficient, and consistent across Member States. But the world has changed — and so must our tools and procedures 🛠️ What are we focusing on❓ 📌 The Commission’s investigative powers 📌 Improving access to the Commission’s file and third-party rights 📌 Making participation easier for complainants and third parties And also enhancing cooperation with national authorities in the ECN 🤝 🗓️ Deadline to respond: 2 October 2025 Share your views via the Call for Evidence and public consultation ⬇️ 🔗 https://europa.eu/!hJgmQf More info on the consultation process ⬇️ 🔗 https://europa.eu/!kjKHFj You now have the opportunity to help shape the future of EU competition policy ❗ #EUCompetition

Today, we issue our first-ever opinion on a sustainability agreement in the agricultural sector under EU competition rules 📑 🍇 The opinion concerns an agreement on the setting of indicative prices for wine produced in accordance with the standards for organic and for Haute Valeur Environnementale (‘HVE') wines, in the French region of Occitanie. The envisaged agreement is between producers of wine meeting these standards and buyers of such wine, to guide bulk wine transactions. ✅ The objective is to incentivise the relevant producers to maintain their sustainable production practices. After careful assessment, we concluded that the agreement: • Involves agricultural producers • Relates to trade in agricultural products • It aims at contributing to several sustainability objectives and at applying sustainability standards that are higher than what is mandated by Union or national law • Any possible restriction of competition stemming from the agreement is indispensable for the attainment of those standards. 👌 On this basis, we issued a positive opinion under Article 210a of the CMO Regulation. Read more 👇 🔗 https://europa.eu/!h9QJgw

📢 Today, we launch a Call for Evidence and public consultation to seek input on the review of the General Block Exemption Regulation 📝 ➡️ The GBER enables Member States to grant certain types of aid without prior Commission approval, saving time and reducing red tape. ➡️ In 2023, 69% of all non-crisis State aid measures were granted under the GBER. 🎯 In an effort to stay up to date, the Commission is assessing the potential to further simplify and update the GBER, in line with the EU's Competitiveness Compass and the Clean Industrial Deal. Your feedback will help us ✅ Reduce the administrative burden for businesses ✅ Harmonise State aid rules and speed up the assessment ✅ Make support more accessible, particularly for innovative and green projects 🗓️ Deadline: 6 October 2025 👉 Have your say here: https://europa.eu/!kCn83q

✉️ The European Commission has sent a letter to Italy setting out its preliminary view that the Decree imposing obligations on the merged entity resulting from UniCredit’s acquisition of Banco BPM may constitute a breach of Article 21 of the EU Merger Regulation. ℹ️ From a competition perspective, the Commission had already cleared the transaction under the EUMR, subject to conditions. Italy imposed further obligations based on national legislation, the so-called “Golden Power” rules. 🛑 The Commission preliminarily considers that the Decree lacks sufficient justification and that it should likely have been reviewed by the Commission before implementation. 📬 Italy is invited to provide its observations. For more information 👇 🔗 https://europa.eu/!YrX9T4

🟠 "The winner takes it all, the loser's standing small..." — iconic lyrics from ABBA 🎤 but also a potential outcome of mergers in digital and tech markets 🚫 ℹ️ In markets shaped by digitalisation, some competitive dynamics created or reinforced by a merger can benefit firms with significant market power. These markets are prone to tipping, ecosystem building, and strong network effects. So, how can merger control keep pace with the evolution of fast-moving, nascent and fast-evolving markets ❓ ⏩ What parameters and types of evidence should enforcers consider to accurately reflect the unique dynamics of digital and tech markets and avoid the creation of impenetrable moats 🏰? 💬 We want to hear from you, whether you're an academic, legal expert, business, or consumer. 📃 ➡️ The Commission has published a paper on this topic to spark discussion: https://europa.eu/!CthXjF 📢 Share your views via an in-depth questionnaire on how merger control rules should apply in digital and tech markets: https://europa.eu/!rYdhnR For more information ⬇️ 🔗 https://europa.eu/!YBcMNC ⏳ Deadline to reply: 3 September 2025

🎙️ What’s new in the fight against international cartels? 🗣️ In this episode of the Antitrust Code podcast by Concurrences, Maria Jaspers (Director for Cartels, DG Competition) and Despina Pachnou (OECD - OCDE) explore one part of the key findings of the OECD Compendium of International Cartels. They dive into the future of leniency programmes — their role in uncovering cartels and how they can remain attractive and effective in an evolving enforcement landscape. 🎧 Listen here 👉 https://lnkd.in/eR6gzYSX #EUCompetition

📢 Today, we issue an informal letter providing guidance on the compatibility with EU competition rules of a sustainability agreement to reduce CO₂ emissions in EU ports. 🚢 ✉️ This is one of the first two letters under the revised 2022 Notice on Informal Guidance, offering businesses informal guidance on the application of EU competition rules to novel or unresolved questions. 🔍 Requested by APM Terminals, the letter assesses a proposal for joint purchasing and standard-setting of electric container-handling equipment. ✅ The Commission finds the agreement does not raise concerns under Article 101 TFEU, provided it includes clear safeguards to: 📌 Ensure participating port operators can still purchase independently; 📌 Avoid anti-competitive effects on suppliers by capping the volume of demand; 📌 Limit the exchange of competitively sensitive information to what is strictly necessary. 🎯 The goal? Accelerate the switch from diesel to electric equipment in ports — lowering emissions, supporting green innovation, and boosting interoperability. For more information 👇 🔗 https://europa.eu/!g3Npnm #EUCompetition

📢 Today, we issue an informal letter to provide antitrust guidance on the creation of a licensing negotiation group in the automotive sector 🚗 ✉️ This is one of the first two letters under the revised 2022 Notice on Informal Guidance, offering businesses informal guidance on the application of EU competition rules to novel or unresolved questions. 🔍 The letter assesses the proposed creation of the Automotive Licensing Negotiation Group (ALNG) to jointly negotiate licences for standard essential patents (SEPs). ✅ The Commission considers that ALNG does not raise concerns under Article 101 TFEU, as long as: 📌 It negotiates licences for standards that are not automotive-specific; 📌 It is open to other interested companies; 📌 Negotiations with ALNG are voluntary for SEP holders; 📌 No commercially sensitive information is shared between members of ALNG. ℹ️ Based on the information provided, we found that the ALNG does not restrict competition, notably because its members’ combined market shares remain limited and SEP licensing costs represent only a small share of the final product price. 🎯 With this guidance letter, we aim to contribute to increasing the competitiveness of the EU’s automotive sector. For more information 👇 🔗 https://europa.eu/!6HX44F #EUCompetition

M&A deals don’t just affect competition...they can also support, or slow down the transition to a green, sustainable economy 🍃 🌳 How should merger control evolve to keep clean tech markets vibrantly competitive? 📏 What parameters and evidence should enforcers use to quantify green efficiencies and keep greenwashing at bay? 📄 The Commission has published a paper to kick off the debate on the links between merger control and sustainability: https://europa.eu/!Fwm8D4 We’ve started the discussion… but some of these questions are TOUGH 🆘  As we review the EU Merger Guidelines, your input is essential. 📌 Share your views through the in-depth questionnaire here: https://europa.eu/!rYdhnR ⏱️ Now is the time to help shape the future of EU merger control. We count on you - citizens, businesses, legal and economic experts, consumer groups, and all stakeholders - to ensure the new guidelines reflect business realities and cover all relevant issues. ℹ️ More information here: 🔗 https://europa.eu/!YBcMNC 🗓️ Deadline: 3 September 2025

🔴 Today, we fine Alchem €489,000 for participating in a pharmaceutical cartel 💊 👉 For more than 12 years, Alchem took part in a cartel concerning SNBB (N-Butylbromide Scopolamine/Hyoscine), a key ingredient used to produce Buscopan and its generic versions. 🔍 Our investigation revealed that Alchem: 📌 Coordinated and agreed to fix the minimum sales price of SNBB to customers, 📌 Allocated quotas among themselves, 📌 And exchanged commercially sensitive information. ℹ️ Unlike the six other companies previously fined in 2023 under a settlement procedure (€13.4 million in total), Alchem chose not to settle, so the investigation continued under the standard procedure. A Statement of Objections was sent in June 2024. The fine was set based on 👇 💶 The value of sales, ⌚ The duration and geographic scope of the infringement, 🛑 The nature and structure of the cartel. Alchem did not cooperate and received no reduction under our leniency or settlement frameworks. Read the full press release here ⬇️ 🔗 https://europa.eu/!9F9tdb #EUCompetition