The European Commission launched on Friday 9 July a public consultation inviting all interested parties to comment on the draft Vertical Block Exemption Regulation on agreements and the draft Guidelines on Vertical Restraints.
The reform of these texts had been launched in October 2018 (see EUROPE 12555/24).
Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President for competition policy, said the proposed revised rules “aim to keep up with market developments that have transformed the way businesses around the world operate, including the growth of e-commerce and online platforms, during the last decade”.
The planned new rules should come into force on 1 June 2022.
The proposed changes. The proposed changes aim to achieve the following objectives:
– readjust the safe harbour provided by the exemption regulation to its scope in four areas (dual distribution, parity obligations, active sales restrictions, and indirect measures restricting online sales);
– provide stakeholders with updated guidance for a business environment reshaped by the growth of e-commerce and online platforms (specific rules and guidance on the platform economy will be included);
– reduce compliance costs for businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, by simplifying and clarifying certain provisions perceived as particularly complex and difficult to implement.
Link to the consultation and draft texts: https://bit.ly/3k8iiQa (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)