Even in these trying times, competitiveness must be preserved.
That being so, the Directorate-General for Competition (DG COMP) has set up a webpage “antitrust rules and coronavirus” outlining policies and antitrust measures in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak (available here). The European Commission is eagerly offering guidance to companies and lawyers on acceptable cooperation during the pandemic, mindful not to infringe existing antitrust regulations. To that end, companies and lawyers are being allowed to design temporary cooperation arrangements (which might not be permissible in normal circumstances), primarily through fast-track co-operation mechanisms to tackle the pandemic, all with the overriding goal of overcoming the crisis in unison.
All means of co-operation must fulfill the condition of being exceptional, meaning that companies cooperate to overcome the crisis (with this being the primary goal, as already mentioned). DG COMP has set up a dedicated email address to process any requests that may come their way and provide “informal” guidance.
Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that there is a ready supply of essential goods and the fair distribution of essential products and services, for both businesses and consumers, to receive urgently-needed protection, while ensuring that market trends and developments retain their status quo.
For more information, please contact us via covid19@geciclaw.com
