It governs how the European Commission deals with cartels1 and anti-competitive practices. It sets out the procedures which must be followed when it investigates allegations of such behaviour.
Under Articles 101 and 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) (previously Articles 81 and 82 of the Treaty establishing the European Community) cartels and abuse of a dominant position respectively are illegal.
The Commission may:
When launching an investigation, the Commission:
The Commission’s leniency programme offers:
Any person may file a complaint with the Commission alleging illegal behaviour. To do so, they must:
It has applied since .
To protect both consumers and companies, EU rules outlaw cartels that fix prices or carve up markets between competitors (Article 101 TFEU). These also aim to prevent firms from abusing their dominant position in a market by charging unfair prices or limiting production (Article 102 TFEU).
For more information, see:
Commission Regulation (EC) No 773/2004 of relating to the conduct of proceedings by the Commission pursuant to Articles 81 and 82 of the EC Treaty (OJ L 123, , pp. 18-24)
Successive amendments and corrections to Regulation (EC) No 773/2004 have been incorporated into the basic text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.
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