Home > Legal articles > National competition authorities soon to be empowered
The European Commission recently published a draft directive to grant greater enforcement powers to national competition authorities (NCAs). NCAs and courts apply the EU competition rules within their jurisdictions on the basis of Regulation 1/2003. To ensure the consistent application of these rules, the European Commission and the 28 national competition authorities of the EU work together in the European Competition Network. However, not all NCAs currently have the same enforcement powers. The draft directive aims to address this problem. Companies should therefore be prepared for an increase in competition enforcement by NCAs, including a more extensive enforcement toolbox, a uniform maximum fine level for EU competition law infringements, and a common set of leniency conditions.
The draft directive imposes an obligation on EU member states to ensure that, when enforcing EU competition law, their NCAs:
The proposed directive will now be transmitted to the European Parliament and Council for adoption. Once adopted, EU member states will need to transpose the directive into their national laws by a set deadline.
17 February 2021
Guidance on green cooperation: Dutch competition authority leads the way
17 February 2021
Green competition: how consumer law can help prevent misleading sustainability claims
17 February 2021
Signed charter needed for foreign in-house counsel to have legal privilege
17 December 2020
Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act: Commission flexes its muscles
16 November 2020
Fake online reviews – back as area of enforcement by competition authorities
12 November 2020
23 October 2020
Privilege of foreign in-house counsel: English court sets standard, Dutch to follow?
15 October 2020
14 October 2020
Foreign investment screening in Dutch vital sectors – what we know so far
14 October 2020
Investment screening in the Dutch telecoms sector as of 1 October 2020
De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek
Claude Debussylaan 80
1082 MD Amsterdam
The Netherlands
P.O. Box 75084
1070 AB Amsterdam
The Netherlands