26/10/2007 (Agence Europe) - On 26 October, the European Commission launched a public consultation on a package of legislative measures designed to allow for settlements of cartel cases where the parties acknowledge their involvement in the cartel and their liability for it, and also agree to a faster and simplified procedure. Parties who agree to the settlement procedure could see their fines reduced, and the speeding up of the procedure will free up resources to allow more cases to be pursued. This initiative complements the recent review of the leniency notice (and the revised fines guidelines). Interested parties have until 21 December to submit their comments. Further information can be found at http: //ec.europa.eu/comm/competition/cartels/legislation/settlements.html (C.D.)