In this issue:
On April 20, 2010 the Commission adopted a new Block Exemption Regulation applicable to vertical agreements. At the same time, it adopted the contents of accompanying Guidelines on vertical restraints. In a special two-part series, organized by Ioannis Lianos, we’re publishing nine comments. We lead off with four DG Comp experts presenting both background and a look at how these guideliness will be implemented. Yves Botteman & Kees Kuilwijk then offer a critique and suggestion, Andy Gavil compares the U.S. and EU approaches, and Greg Pelecanos analyzes the impact on motor vehicles distribution. In our second part, Liza Bellulo, Umberto Berkani, & Valerie Meunier from the Autorité in France note the influence the NCA’s had on the new design; Filippo Amato details how the new Guidelines will impact internet sales; Kyriakos Fountoukakos & Kristien Geeurickx forecast practical impacts on business operations; Paul Lugard & Theon van Dijk give the changes a mixed grade; and Ioannis Lianos reads us a retailer power story
The New EU Approach to Vertical Agreements, Part 2
How the National Competition Authorities Decisions Fed Into the Modernization of the EU Vertical Agreements Block Exemption Regulation and Guidelines: The Example of the French Autorité de la Concurrence
NCAs experience and decisional practice were important contributors to the guidelines on and will
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