Anti-competitive behaviour face high fines as well as, under

Certain circumstances, the threat of criminal prosecution.

I propose that we draw up a comprehensive set of

Guidelines for preventing anti-competitive behaviour by your

Firm. Initially, these guidelines could be presented to all

Employees in informative workshop sessions, and later

Reinforced through regular anti-competitive internal memos.

The benefits for your company are clear: an increased

Awareness of the risks of anti-competitive behaviour at all

Levels of your enterprise would greatly lessen your risk of

Exposure to antitrust lawsuits and actions.

The implementation of this proposal could be carried out

in a four-stage process: 1) assessment of anti-competitive

Behaviour risks; 2) drawing up of guidelines; 3) holding

Workshops for employees; and 4) follow-up reinforcement.

Should you be interested in pursuing this course of

Action, the Competition Department of our firm could

Begin work immediately.

If you would like to discuss this proposal and the details of

Its implementation, please do not hesitate to contact me.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Yours sincerely

Andrew Chase

This is a journalistic text from a newspaper written for

A non-specialist audience.

2 The companies involved are Sotheby's and Christie's,

Two art auction houses in the service sector.

They formed an illegal price-fixing cartel.

15 1 Christie's escaped a fine because it provided the

Evidence that proved the operation of a cartel between

The art houses.

The illegal collusive agreement concerned an increase

In the corn missions paid by sellers at auctions and it

Also involved advances paid to sellers.

3 The president and chief executive of Sotheby's said he

Was relieved that the fine was less than it could have

Been and was pleased that the investigation was over.

For 2 for 3 on

C

B 2a 3a

One-stop shop is usually used to refer to a store where

different kinds of products can be bought: one convenient

Location where various needs can be met at once. Here,

The term is used to indicate that many procedures that

Formerly were carried out in several different places are

Now taken care of centrally by the European Commission.

Turnover threshold refers to the combined turnover of the

Parties to a merger for purposes of EC merger control. If

The combined turnover of the companies exceeds the

Amount stated in the EC Merger Regulations, then the

Merger is said to have a community dimension and the

Merger is subject to the competence of the European

Commission, as opposed to the Member States.

The first purpose of a pre-notification request is to have

The Commission take over the case from the national

Authorities in cases when the combined turnover of the

Parties to a merger falls below the existing thresholds,

And where notification would otherwise have been

Required in at least three Member States. The second

Purpose is to have the case be examined by a national

Competition authority rather than by the Commission

When it can be shown that a distinct market exists in

Date: 2015-12-11; view: 1038