EU and Competition 

Our highly-rated team is experienced in advising businesses on all aspects of UK and EC competition law and compliance, EU law and regulation, international trade and inward investment.

Competition Law

Competition authorities in the UK and EU are taking an increasingly tough approach to anti-competitive behaviour and practices. Cartel activity, collusive tendering, anti-competitive agreements and price fixing are all unlawful and anti-competitive, and are subject to strict laws and regulatory scrutiny. 

We can advise on:

  • Anti-competitive agreements and abuse of a dominant market position - Articles 101 and 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), and under the UK Competition Act 1998 and Enterprise Act 2000
  • The Block Exemption system - the Vertical Agreements Block Exemption, the Motor Vehicles Block Exemption and the Technology Transfer Block Exemption to applicable agreements
  • The competition law aspects of commercial ‘vertical’ agreements such as distribution agreements, supply agreements, manufacturing agreements, franchise agreements and IP/ technology transfer agreements
  • Horizontal agreements, including cartels, price-fixing and other collusive behaviour and related sanctions, competition-related investigations including "dawn raid" policies and procedures, and leniency applications
  • The competition law aspects of mergers and acquisitions, including the various thresholds/ tests for notification to the UK authorities and under the EC Merger Regulation
  • Sector-specific EC Regulations, such as the EU Code of Conduct on Computerised Reservation Systems
  • Commission consultations and liaising directly with the European Commission and OFT/ Competition Commission over specific enquiries
  • Issues arising from trade and the European internal market, including free movement of goods and services and parallel imports and
  • Public procurement, public tenders, collaborative tendering and collusive tendering. 

For further information, please contact us on 08450 990045 and ask for Mark O'Shea or James Arneill or email Mark or James.