Rapport om erfaringene med EUs konkurranseregler
Meddelelse fra Kommisjonen til Europaparlamentet og Rådet: Rapport om erfaringene med forordning 1/2003
Meddelelse lagt fram av Kommisjonen 30.04.2009
Nærmere omtale
BAKGRUNN (fra kommisjonsforslaget, engelsk utgave)
1. Regulation 1/2003 [1], the keystone of the modernisation of the European Union's antitrust enforcement rules and procedures, entered into application on 1 May 2004. Article 44 of Regulation 1/2003 provides that the Commission shall by 1 May 2009, i.e. after five years of application, report to the European Parliament and the Council on its functioning.
2. Regulation 1/2003 was the result of the most comprehensive reform of procedures for the enforcement of Articles 81 and 82 EC since 1962. Its main features are:
– The abolition of the practice of notifying business agreements to the Commission, enabling the Commission to focus its resources on the important fight against cartels and other serious violations of the antitrust rules. – The empowerment of national competition authorities and courts to apply EC antitrust rules in their entirety, so that there are multiple enforcers and therefore wider application of the EC antitrust rules.
– More level playing field for businesses operating cross-border as all competition enforcers, including the national competition authorities and national courts, are obliged to apply EC antitrust rules to cases that affect trade between Member States.
– Close cooperation between the Commission and national competition authorities in the European Competition Network (the "ECN").
– Enhanced enforcement tools for the Commission so that it is better equipped to detect and address breaches of the antitrust rules.
3. In the context of Regulation 1/2003, the Commission further adopted the Commission implementing Regulation 773/2004 [2] as well as six new Commission Notices and Guidelines.[3]
4. The Report is a stock-taking exercise, the aim of which is to understand and assess how modernisation of the EC antitrust enforcement rules has worked during the first five years. It is to be read in conjunction with the accompanying Commission Staff Working Paper which contains a more detailed review.
[1]Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2003 of 16 December 2002 on the implementation of the rules on competition laid down in Articles 81 and 82 of the Treaty (OJ 2003 L1, 4.1.2003, p.1), as amended by Council Regulation (EC) No 411/2004 of 26 February 2004 repealing Regulation (EEC) No 3975/87 and amending Regulations (EEC) No 3976/87 and (EC) No 1/2003, in connection with air transport between the Community and third countries (OJ L 68, 6.3.2004, p.1) and Council Regulation (EC) No 1419/2006 of 25 September 2006 repealing Regulation (EEC) No 4056/86 laying down detailed rules for the application of Articles 85 and 86 of the Treaty to maritime transport, and amending Regulation (EC) No 1/2003 as regards the extension of its scope to include cabotage and international tramp services (OJ L 269, 28.9.2006, p. 1).
[2] Commission Regulation (EC) No 773/2004 of 7 April 2004 relating to the conduct of proceedings by the Commission pursuant to Articles 81 and 82 of the EC Treaty (OJ L 123, 27.4.2004, p.18), as amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 622/2008 of 30 June 2008 amending Regulation (EC) No 773/2004, as regards the conduct of settlement procedures in cartel cases (OJ L 171, 1.7.2008, p. 3).
[3] The Modernisation Package, cf. Commission Notice on Cooperation within the Network of Competition Authorities (OJ C 101, 27.4.2004, p.43), Commission Notice on Cooperation between the Commission and the Courts of the EU Member States in the application of Articles 81 and 82 EC (OJ C
101, 27.4.2004, p.54), Commission Notice on Informal Guidance relating to Novel Questions concerning Articles 81 and 82 of the EC Treaty that arise in Individual Cases (Guidance Letters) (OJ C 101, 27.4.2004, p.78), Commission Notice on the Handling of Complaints by the Commission under Articles 81 and 82 of the EC Treaty, (OJ C 101, 27.4.2004, p.65), Guidelines on the effect on trade concept contained in Articles 81 and 82 of the Treaty (OJ C 101, 27.4.2004, p.81) and Guidelines on the application of Article 81(3) of the Treaty (OJ C 101, 27.4.2004, p.97).
1. Regulation 1/2003 [1], the keystone of the modernisation of the European Union's antitrust enforcement rules and procedures, entered into application on 1 May 2004. Article 44 of Regulation 1/2003 provides that the Commission shall by 1 May 2009, i.e. after five years of application, report to the European Parliament and the Council on its functioning.
2. Regulation 1/2003 was the result of the most comprehensive reform of procedures for the enforcement of Articles 81 and 82 EC since 1962. Its main features are:
– The abolition of the practice of notifying business agreements to the Commission, enabling the Commission to focus its resources on the important fight against cartels and other serious violations of the antitrust rules. – The empowerment of national competition authorities and courts to apply EC antitrust rules in their entirety, so that there are multiple enforcers and therefore wider application of the EC antitrust rules.
– More level playing field for businesses operating cross-border as all competition enforcers, including the national competition authorities and national courts, are obliged to apply EC antitrust rules to cases that affect trade between Member States.
– Close cooperation between the Commission and national competition authorities in the European Competition Network (the "ECN").
– Enhanced enforcement tools for the Commission so that it is better equipped to detect and address breaches of the antitrust rules.
3. In the context of Regulation 1/2003, the Commission further adopted the Commission implementing Regulation 773/2004 [2] as well as six new Commission Notices and Guidelines.[3]
4. The Report is a stock-taking exercise, the aim of which is to understand and assess how modernisation of the EC antitrust enforcement rules has worked during the first five years. It is to be read in conjunction with the accompanying Commission Staff Working Paper which contains a more detailed review.
[1]Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2003 of 16 December 2002 on the implementation of the rules on competition laid down in Articles 81 and 82 of the Treaty (OJ 2003 L1, 4.1.2003, p.1), as amended by Council Regulation (EC) No 411/2004 of 26 February 2004 repealing Regulation (EEC) No 3975/87 and amending Regulations (EEC) No 3976/87 and (EC) No 1/2003, in connection with air transport between the Community and third countries (OJ L 68, 6.3.2004, p.1) and Council Regulation (EC) No 1419/2006 of 25 September 2006 repealing Regulation (EEC) No 4056/86 laying down detailed rules for the application of Articles 85 and 86 of the Treaty to maritime transport, and amending Regulation (EC) No 1/2003 as regards the extension of its scope to include cabotage and international tramp services (OJ L 269, 28.9.2006, p. 1).
[2] Commission Regulation (EC) No 773/2004 of 7 April 2004 relating to the conduct of proceedings by the Commission pursuant to Articles 81 and 82 of the EC Treaty (OJ L 123, 27.4.2004, p.18), as amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 622/2008 of 30 June 2008 amending Regulation (EC) No 773/2004, as regards the conduct of settlement procedures in cartel cases (OJ L 171, 1.7.2008, p. 3).
[3] The Modernisation Package, cf. Commission Notice on Cooperation within the Network of Competition Authorities (OJ C 101, 27.4.2004, p.43), Commission Notice on Cooperation between the Commission and the Courts of the EU Member States in the application of Articles 81 and 82 EC (OJ C
101, 27.4.2004, p.54), Commission Notice on Informal Guidance relating to Novel Questions concerning Articles 81 and 82 of the EC Treaty that arise in Individual Cases (Guidance Letters) (OJ C 101, 27.4.2004, p.78), Commission Notice on the Handling of Complaints by the Commission under Articles 81 and 82 of the EC Treaty, (OJ C 101, 27.4.2004, p.65), Guidelines on the effect on trade concept contained in Articles 81 and 82 of the Treaty (OJ C 101, 27.4.2004, p.81) and Guidelines on the application of Article 81(3) of the Treaty (OJ C 101, 27.4.2004, p.97).