Proposal for a Council and Commission Decision on the position to be taken by the Community within the Association Council established by the Europe Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Hungary, of the other part, signed at Brussels on 16 December 1991, with regard to the Decision repealing and replacing Decision No 2/96 of the Association Council of 6 November 1996, adopting the rules necessary for the implementation of Article 62 (1) (i), (1) (ii) and (2) of the Europe Agreement and the rules implementing Article 8 (1) (i), (1) (ii) and (2) of Protocol No 2 on ECSC products to that Europe Agreement
Date: 2001-08-14
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Hungary, association agreement (EU), competition, dominant position, inter-company agreement, merger control

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 14.08.2001
COM(2001) 468 final

2001/0184 (ACC)

Proposal for a

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(presented by the Commission)

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Article 62(3) of the Europe Agreement between the European Communities and their Member
States, of the one part, and the Republic of Hungary, of the other part, signed in Brussels on
16 December 1991, provides that the necessary rules for the implementation of paragraphs 1
and  2  of  that  Article  (i.e.  the  competition  provisions  applicable  to  undertakings)  shall  be
adopted  by  the  Association  Council.  They  were  adopted  by  the  Association  Council  on  6
November 1996 as Decision No 2/96 adopting the rules necessary for the implementation of
Article 62 (1) (i), (1) (ii) and (2) of the Europe Agreement, and the rules implementing Article
8 (1) (i), (1) (ii) and (2) of Protocol No 2 on ECSC products to that Europe Agreement1. The
competition  provisions  are  one  of  the  basic  points  of  the  Europe  Agreement  between  the
European  Communities  and  Hungary.  Their  actual  implementation  is  a  prerequisite  for  the
smooth development of trade relations between the two parties.

However, in Judgement No 30 of 25 June 1998 the Hungarian Constitutional Court declared
the  first  and  second  paragraphs  of  Article  1  and  Article  6  of  the  Annex  to  the  Hungarian
Government Decree No 230 of 26 December 1996, which transposed Decision No 2/96 of the
Association Council of 6 November 1996 into the Hungarian legal system, unconstitutional.
Hence,  it  has  become  necessary  to  further  specify  the  criteria  for  the  application  of  the
relevant  rules  from  the  EC  and  ECSC  Treaties  so  that  they  can  enter  the  Hungarian  legal
system in a way complying with the Hungarian Constitution and the constitutional concerns
expressed in the above judgement of the Hungarian Constitutional Court. This is  a  practical
and appropriate solution in the period leading up to Hungary’s accession to the EU, allowing
Hungary  to  prepare  and  carry  out  a  revision  of  its  Constitution  that  will  most  likely  be
required for accession to the EU.

In specifying  these  criteria,  several  purposes need to be taken into account according  to  the
procedure in which  the  criteria  are  applied or invoked, namely whether they are  procedures
before the Commission or procedures before the Hungarian Office of Economic Competition
and  the  Hungarian  courts.  The  criteria  need  to  be  specified  in  different  ways  according  to
those different purposes.

This  further  specification  of  the  criteria  requires  that  the  existing  implementing  rules  be
repealed and replaced with new ones, which is the subject of this proposal. As a confirmation
of  the  fact  that  the  further  specification  of  the  criteria  does  not  restrict  the  obligations  of
Hungary under the  Europe Agreement, the following  agreed Statement will  be  added  to  the
minutes of the Association Council upon adoption of the Decision:

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OJ No L 295, 20.11.96, p. 29.

2

                                                
According  to  Article  2  (1)  of  the  Decision  of  the  Council  and  the  Commission  of  13
December 1993 on the conclusion of the Europe Agreement, the position to be taken by the
Community  within  the  Association  Council  shall  be  laid  down  in  accordance  with  the
corresponding provisions of the Treaties establishing the European Communities. Articles 83,
308 and 300 paragraph 2, second sentence and third subparagraph thereof, of the EC Treaty as
well as Articles 65 and 66 of the ECSC Treaty are the appropriate legal basis for the position
to  be  adopted  by  the  Community  in  the  Association  Council  with  regard  to  rules  for  the
implementation  of  the  competition  provisions  applicable  to  undertaking.  As  a  result,  it  is
desirable that the Council and the Commission should adopt the attached decision.

It  is  therefore  proposed  that  the  Council  approves  the  attached  proposal  for  a  Council  and
Commission decision.

3

2001/0184 (ACC)

Proposal for a

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THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Articles
83  and  308  in  connection  with  Article  300  paragraph  2,  second  sentence  and  third
subparagraph thereof,

Having  regard  to  the  Treaty  establishing  the  European  Coal  and  Steel  Community  and  in
particular Articles 65 and 66,

Having regard to the Decision of the Council and the Commission of 13 December 1993 on
the  conclusion  of  the  Europe  Agreement  between  the  European  Communities  and  their
Member  States,  of  the  one  part,  and  the  Republic  of  Hungary,  of  the  other  part,  and  in
particular Article 2 (1) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

(1)  Whereas  Article  62(3)  of  the  Europe  Agreement  lays  down  that  the  Association
Council shall adopt the rules necessary for the implementation of paragraphs 1 and 2
of that Article,

(2)  Whereas Article 8(3) of Protocol No 2 on ECSC products to that Europe Agreement
lays  down  that  the  Association  Council  shall  adopt  the  rules  necessary  for  the
implementation of paragraphs 1 and 2 of that Article,

(3)  Whereas such rules were adopted by Decision No 2/96 of the Association Council of 6

November 1996,

4

(4)  Whereas  it  is  necessary  to  repeal  and  replace  these  rules  in  order  to  further  specify
them,  in  different  ways  depending  on  whether  they  are  applied  or  invoked  in
procedures  before  the  Commission  or  in  procedures  before  the  Hungarian  Office  of
Economic  Competition and  the  Hungarian  courts,  following  Judgement  No  30  of  25
June  1998  the  Hungarian  Constitutional  Court  which  declared  certain  parts  of  these
rules unconstitutional,

HAVE DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

The position to be taken by the Community within the Association Council set up under the
Europe Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one
part,  and  the  Republic  of  Hungary,  of  the  other  part,  with  regard  to  the  rules  for  the
implementation of Article 62(1)(i), (1)(ii) and (2) of the said Agreement shall be based on the
draft Decision of the Association Council annexed to this Decision.

Done at Brussels,

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(…/…/Euratom, ECSC, EC)

THE ASSOCIATION COUNCIL,

Having  regard  to  the  Europe  Agreement  establishing  an  association  between  the  European
Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Hungary, of the
other part2, and in particular Article 62 (3) thereof,

Having regard to Protocol No 2 on ECSC products to that Europe Agreement and in particular
Article 8 (3) thereof,

Whereas on 6 November 1996  the Association  Council  adopted  Decision  No  2/96  adopting
the rules necessary for the implementation of Article 62 (1) (i), (1) (ii) and (2) of the Europe
Agreement, and the rules implementing Article 8 (1) (i), (1) (ii) and (2) of Protocol No 2 on
ECSC products to that Europe Agreement3,

Whereas in Judgement No 30  of 25 June 1998  the Hungarian Constitutional  Court  declared
the  first  and  second  paragraphs  of  Article  1  and  Article  6  of  the  Annex  to  the  Hungarian
Government Decree No 230 of 26 December 1996, which transposed Decision No 2/96 of the
Association Council of 6 November 1996 into the Hungarian legal system, unconstitutional,

Whereas the criteria arising from the application of the rules of Articles 85 and 86 of the EC
Treaty (now Articles 81 and 82 EC) as referred to in Article 62 (2) of the Europe Agreement

2 
3 

OJ No L 347, 31.12.1993, p. 1.
OJ No L 295, 20.11.96, p. 29.

6

                                                
as well as the criteria arising from the application of the rules of Articles 65 and 66 ECSC as
referred  to  in  Article  8  (2)  of  Protocol  No  2  on  ECSC  products  to  that  Europe  Agreement
need  to  be  further  specified,  so  that  they  can  enter  the  Hungarian  legal  system  in  a  way
complying with the Hungarian Constitution and the constitutional concerns expressed in the
above judgement of the Hungarian Constitutional Court,

Whereas  in  so  specifying  the  criteria,  several  purposes  need  to  be  taken  into  account
according to the procedure in which the criteria are applied or invoked,

Whereas the criteria shall be specified in different ways according to those different purposes,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

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Decision  No  2/96  of  the  Association  Council  of  6  November  1996,  including  its  Annex,  is
hereby repealed and replaced by the present Decision of the Association Council, including its
Annex and the Appendix attached to such Annex.

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Any practices under Article 62 (1) (i) and (ii) of the Europe Agreement and Article 8 (1) (i)
and  (ii)  of  Protocol  No  2  on  ECSC  products  to  that  Europe  Agreement  shall  be  assessed
according to the provisions set out in the Annex to this Decision.

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At the request of either Party, the Association Committee shall review the Appendix attached
to  the  Annex  to  this  Decision,  with  a  view  to  adapting  it  to  newly  adopted  or  amended
Community acts.

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This Decision shall enter into force on the first day of the third month following the adoption
of this Decision.

Done at Brussels, … .

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IMPLEMENTING RULES FOR THE APPLICATION OF THE COMPETITION
PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO UNDERTAKINGS PROVIDED FOR IN ARTICLE 62
(1) (i), (1) (ii) AND (2) OF THE EUROPE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EUROPEAN
COMMUNITIES AND THEIR MEMBER STATES, OF THE ONE PART, AND THE
REPUBLIC OF HUNGARY, OF THE OTHER PART, AND THE RULES
IMPLEMENTING ARTICLE 8 (1) (i), (1) (ii) AND(2) OF PROTOCOL No 2 ON ECSC
PRODUCTS TO THAT EUROPE AGREEMENT

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Without prejudice to the obligations of the Parties under the Europe Agreement,

-
for  all  purposes  that  might  arise  in  the  context  of  the  invocation,  interpretation  or
application of the criteria referred to in Article 62 (2) of the Europe Agreement in procedures
before the Commission of the European Communities under the present Annex, these criteria
shall comprise all substantive norms of the DFTXLV(cid:3)FRPPXQDXWDLUH as they are developed by
the Community institutions in the field of Community anti-trust law;

-
for  all  purposes  that  might  arise  in  the  context  of  the  invocation,  interpretation  or
application of the criteria referred to in Article 62 (2) of the Europe Agreement in procedures
before  the  Hungarian  Office  of  Economic  Competition  and  the  Hungarian  courts  under  the
present Annex, these criteria shall comprise the substantive rules specified in Articles 2 to 5
of the present Annex as well as its Appendix.

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The following shall be prohibited as incompatible with the functioning of the Europe

(1)
Agreement:

all agreements between undertakings, decisions by associations of undertakings and concerted
practices which may affect trade between Parties and which have as their object or effect the
prevention, restriction or distortion of competition within the territory covered by the Europe
Agreement and in particular those which:

8

– 

– 

– 

– 

– 

(a)  directly  or  indirectly  fix  purchase  or  selling  prices  or  any  other  trading
conditions,

(b) limit or control production, markets, technical development, or investment,

(c) share markets or sources of supply,

(d)  apply  dissimilar  conditions  to  equivalent  transactions  with  other  trading
parties, thereby placing them at a competitive disadvantage,

(e) make the conclusion of contracts subject to acceptance by the other parties
of  supplementary  obligations  which,  by  their  nature  or  according  to
commercial usage, have no connection with the subject of such contracts.

Any agreements or decisions prohibited pursuant to this Article shall be automatically

(2)
void.

(3)

The provisions of paragraph (1) may, however, be declared inapplicable in the case of:

- any agreement or category of agreements between undertakings,

- any decision or category of decisions by associations of undertakings,

- any concerted practice or category of concerted practices,

which  contributes  to  improving  the  production  or  distribution  of  goods  or  to  promoting
technical or economic progress, while allowing consumers a fair share of the resulting benefit,
and which does not:

– 

– 

(a)  impose  on  the  undertakings  concerned  restrictions  which  are  not
indispensable to the attainment of these objectives,

(b)  afford  such  undertakings  the  possibility  of  eliminating  competition  in
respect of a substantial part of the products in question.

(4) Without  prejudice  to  paragraphs  (1)  to  (3),  for  the  assessment  of  the  agreements,
decisions and concerted practices referred to in paragraph (1), the principles contained in the
acts of the European Communities listed in the Appendix attached to the present Annex shall
also apply mutatis mutandis.

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Any abuse by one or more undertakings of a dominant position within the territory covered by
the Europe Agreement or in a substantial part  of  it shall be prohibited  as  incompatible with
the functioning of the Europe Agreement insofar as it may affect trade between the Parties.

Such abuse may, in particular, consist in:

– 

(a)  directly  or  indirectly  imposing  unfair  purchase  or  selling  prices  or  other
unfair trading conditions,

9

– 

– 

– 

(b)  limiting  production,  markets  or  technical  development  to  the  prejudice  of
consumers,

(c) applying dissimilar conditions to equivalent transactions with other trading
parties, thereby placing them at a competitive disadvantage,

(d)  making  the  conclusion  of  contracts  subject  to  acceptance  by  the  other
parties  of  supplementary  obligations  which,  by  their  nature  or  according  to
commercial usage, have no connection with the subject of such contracts.

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 For  the  purposes  of    Article  62  (1)  (i)-(ii)  and  (2)  of  the  Europe  Agreement  and  of  this
present  Annex,  the  question  of  whether  an  anti-competitive  agreement  or  the  abuse  of  a
dominant position may have an effect on trade between the Community and Hungary shall be
determined by establishing, on the basis of a set of objective factors of law or of fact, whether
the practice in question  may  have  an  influence,  direct  or  indirect,  actual  or  potential  on  the
pattern of trade between the Community and Hungary.

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(1)
Anti-competitive  activities  under  Article  2  (1)  whose  effects  on  trade  between  the
Parties  or  on  competition  are  negligible  do  not  fall  under  Article  62  (1)  (i)  of  the  Europe
Agreement and under the prohibition in Article 2 (1) of the present Annex and, therefore, are
not to be treated under the present Annex.

Negligible effects within the meaning of(cid:3)paragraph (1) are generally presumed to exist

(2)
when:

- the aggregate market shares held by all of the participating undertakings with regard to the
goods  or  services  which  are  the  subject  of  the  agreement  together  with  the  participating
undertakings' other goods or services which are considered by users to be equivalent in view
of their characteristics, price and intended use, do not exceed:

– 

– 

(a)  the  5%  threshold,  where  the  agreement  is  made  between  undertakings
operating  at  the  same  level  of  production  or  of  marketing  ("horizontal"
agreement),

(b)  the  10%  threshold,  where  the  agreement  is  made  between  undertakings
operating  at  different  levels  of  production  or  of  marketing  ("vertical"
agreement),

of the total market for such goods or services in the area of the common market affected by
the agreement, and the Hungarian market affected by the agreement, respectively.

10

In  the  case  of  a  mixed  horizontal/vertical  agreement  or  where  it  is  difficult  to  classify  the
agreement as either horizontal or vertical, the 5% threshold is applicable.

(3)
The said agreements do not fall under Article 62 (1) (i) of the Europe Agreement and
under  the  prohibition  in  Article  2  (1)  of  the  present  Annex  if  the  above  market  shares  are
exceeded by no more than one-tenth during two successive financial years.

(4) With regard to:

(a) horizontal agreements which have as their object:

– 

– 

- to fix prices or to limit production or sales, or

- to share markets or sources of supply,

(b) vertical agreements which have as their object:

– 

– 

- to fix resale prices, or

-  to  confer  territorial  protection  on  the  participating  undertakings  or  third
undertakings,

the provisions of Article 62 (1) (i) of the Europe Agreement and the prohibition in Article 2
(1) of the present Annex may be applied even where the aggregate market shares held by all
of the participating undertakings remain below the above thresholds.

11

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(1)
The cases under Article 62 (1) (i) and (ii) of the Europe Agreement  are dealt with by
the  Commission  of  the  European  Communities  (Competition  Directorate-General)  on  the
Community side, and the Office of Economic Competition on the Hungarian side, according
to the procedural rules under this Title.

(2)
The competence of the Commission of the European Communities and the Office of
Economic Competition to deal with these cases shall flow from the existing procedural rules
of the respective legislation of the Community and Hungary, including where these rules are
applied to undertakings located outside the respective territory.

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The  competition  authorities  shall  notify  to  each  other  those  cases  they  are  dealing

(1)
with, which appear also to fall under the competence of the other authority.

(2)

This situation may arise in particular in cases concerning activities that:

– 

– 

– 

- involve anti-competitive activities carried out in the other authority's territory,

- are relevant to enforcement activities of the other competition authority,

-  involve  remedies  that  would  require  or  prohibit  particular  conduct  in  the  other
authority's territory.

Notification under this Article shall include sufficient information to permit an initial
(3)
evaluation  by  the  recipient  party  of  any  effects  on  its  interests.  Copies  of  the  notifications
shall be submitted on a regular basis to the Association Committee.

Notification shall be made in advance, as soon as possible and at the latest at the stage
(4)
of an investigation still far enough in advance of the adoption of a settlement or decision, so
as to facilitate comments or consultations and to enable the proceeding authority to take into
account the other authority's views, as well as to take such remedial action it may find feasible
in accordance with the present Annex, in order to deal with the case in question.

(5) Whenever the Commission of the European Communities or the Office of Economic
Competition consider that anti-competitive activities carried out on the territory of the other
authority are substantially affecting important interests of the respective Party, it may request
consultation  with  the  other  authority,  or  it  may  request  that  the  other  party's  competition
authority  initiate  any  appropriate  procedures  with  a  view  to  taking  remedial  action.  This  is

12

without prejudice to any action by the requesting Party under the present Annex and does not
hamper the full freedom of ultimate decision of the authority so addressed.

(6)
The competition authority so addressed shall give full and sympathetic consideration
to  such  views  and  factual  materials  as  may  be  provided  by  the  requesting  authority  and,  in
particular, to the nature of the anti-competitive activities in question, the enterprises involved
and the alleged harmful effects on the important interests of the requesting Party.

(7) Without  prejudice  to  any  of  their  rights  or  obligations,  the  competition  authorities
involved  in  consultations  under  this  Article  shall  endeavour  to  find  a  mutually  acceptable
solution in the light of the respective important interests involved.

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Cases falling under  the  exclusive  competence  of  one  competition  authority,  and  which  may
affect important interests of  the  other  Party, shall be notified to the other authority,  without
formal request by the latter.

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(1) Whenever the competition authority of a Party becomes aware of the fact that a case,
falling also or only under the  competence of the other authority, appears to affect important
interests  of  the  first  Party,  it  may  request  information  about  this  case  from  the  proceeding
authority.

The proceeding authority shall give sufficient information to the extent possible and at
(2)
a stage of its proceedings far enough in advance of the adoption of a decision or settlement to
enable the requesting authority’s views to be taken into account.

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(1)
Having  regard  to  Article  62  (7)  of  the  Europe  Agreement,  neither  competition
authority  is  required  to  provide  information  to  the  other  authority  if  disclosure  of  that
information to the requesting authority is prohibited by the law of the authority possessing the
information, or would be incompatible with important interests of the Party whose authority is
in possession of the information.

Each authority agrees to maintain, to the fullest extent possible, the confidentiality of

(2)
any information provided to it in confidence by the other authority.

13

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Whenever the Commission of the European Communities applies Council Regulation (EEC)
No 4064/89 of 21 December 1989 on the control of concentrations between undertakings with
regard to transactions that have a significant impact on the Hungarian economy, the Office of
Economic  Competition  shall  be  entitled  to  express  its  view  in  the  course  of  the  procedure
taking  into  account  the  time  limits  as  provided  for  in  the  aforementioned  Regulation.  The
Commission of the European Communities shall give due consideration to that view, without
prejudice to its powers to take appropriate actions.

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(1) Whenever the procedures provided for in the Articles above do not lead to a mutually
acceptable  solution,  as  well  as  in  other  cases  explicitly  mentioned  in  these  Implementing
Rules, an exchange of views shall take place in the Association Council at the request of one
Party within three months following the request.

(2)
Following  this  exchange  of  views,  or  after  expiry  of  the  period  referred  to  in
paragraph  (1),  the  Association  Council  may  make  appropriate  recommendations  for  the
settlement  of  these  cases,  without  prejudice  to  Article  62  (6)  of  the  Europe  Agreement.  In
these recommendations, the Association Council may take into account eventual failure of the
requested  authority  to  give  its  point  of  view  to  the  requesting  authority  within  the  period
referred to in paragraph (1) to this Article.

(3)
These  procedures  in  the  Association  Council  are  without  prejudice  to  the  powers  of
the competition authorities of the Parties under the present Annex to take appropriate actions.

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When  both  the  Commission  of  the  European  Communities  and  the  Office  of  Economic
Competition consider that neither of them is competent to handle a case on the basis of their
respective  legislation,  an  exchange  of  views  shall  take  place  on  request  in  the  Association
Council.  The  Community  and  Hungary  shall  endeavour  to  find  a  mutually  acceptable
solution. The Association Council may make appropriate recommendations without prejudice
to Article 62 (6) of the Europe Agreement and the rights of individual Member States of the
European Communities on the basis of their competition rules(cid:17)

14

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The  Commission  of  the  European  Communities  and  the  Office  of  Economic  Competition
shall  provide  for  practical  arrangements  for  mutual  assistance  or  any  other  appropriate
solution concerning in particular the question of translations.

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The acts listed in the Appendix attached to the present Annex shall be published in Hungary
in  the  Hungarian  language.  The  publication  may  contain  the  necessary  explicative  and
adaptatory notes.

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The  provisions  contained  in  the  present  Annex  shall,  mutatis  mutandis,  also  apply  with
respect to the coal and steel sector as referred to in Protocol 2 to the Europe Agreement.

15

$33(1’,;

I. ACTS REFERRED TO IN ARTICLE 2 (4) OF THE ANNEX

$(cid:17)(cid:3)9HUWLFDO(cid:3)DJUHHPHQWV

–  Commission Regulation (EC)  No  2790/1999  of  22  December  1999  on  the  application  of
Article 81(3) of the Treaty to categories of vertical agreements and concerted practices, OJ
L 336 , 29/12/1999 p. 0021 – 0025.

–  Commission  Regulation  (EC)  No  1475/95  of  28  June  1995  on  the  application  of  Article
85(3)  of  the  Treaty  to  certain  categories  of  motor  vehicle  distribution  and  servicing
agreements, OJ L 145, 29.6.1995, p. 25.

%(cid:17)(cid:3)/LFHQVLQJ(cid:3)DJUHHPHQWV(cid:3)IRU(cid:3)WKH(cid:3)WUDQVIHU(cid:3)RI(cid:3)WHFKQRORJ\

–  Commission Regulation (EC) No 240/96 of 31 January 1996 on the application of Article
85(3)  of  the  Treaty  to  certain  categories  of  technology  transfer  agreements,  OJ  L  31,
9.2.1996, p. 2.

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–  Commission Regulation (EC) No 2658/2000  of  29 November 2000  on  the  application of
Article 81(3) of the Treaty to categories of specialisation agreements, OJ L 304, 5.12.2000,
p. 3.

–  Commission Regulation (EC) No 2659/2000  of  29 November 2000  on  the  application of
Article  81(3)  of  the  Treaty  to  categories  of  research  and  development  agreements,  OJ  L
304, 5.12.2000, p. 7.

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–  Council Regulation (EEC) No 1534/91 of 31 May 1991 on the application of Article 85(3)
of the Treaty to certain categories of agreements, decisions and concerted practices in the
insurance sector, OJ L 143, 7.6.1991, p. 1.

–  Commission  Regulation  (EEC)  No  3932/92  of  21  December  1992  on  the  application  of
Article  85(3)  of  the  Treaty  to  certain  categories  of  agreements,  decisions  and  concerted
practices in the insurance sector, OJ L 398, 31.12.1992, p. 7.

16

((cid:17)(cid:3)7UDQVSRUW

–  Council  Regulation  (EEC)  No  1017/68  of  19  July  1968  applying  rules  of  competition  to
transport by rail, road and inland waterway, OJ L 175, 23.7.1968, p. 1 (in particular Article
4: exemption for groups of small and medium-sized undertakings).

–  Council  Regulation (EEC) No  4056/86  of 22  December 1986  laying  down  detailed  rules
for  the  application  of  Articles  85  and  86  of  the  Treaty  to  maritime  transport,  OJ  L  378,
31.12.1986, p. 4 (in particular Articles 3 and 6: exemption for agreements between carriers
concerning  the  operation  of  scheduled  maritime  transport  services,  and  exemption  for
agreements  between  transport  users  and  conferences  concerning  the  use  of  scheduled
maritime transport services).

–  Commission Regulation (EC) No 823/2000 of 19 April 2000 on the application of Article
81(3) of the Treaty to certain categories of agreements, decisions and concerted practices
between liner shipping companies (consortia), OJ L 100, 20.4.2000, p. 24.

–  Commission Regulation (EEC) No 1617/93 of 25 June 1993 on the application of Article
85(3) of the Treaty to certain categories of agreements and concerted practices concerning
joint planning and co-ordination of schedules, joint operations, consultations on passenger
and  cargo  tariffs  on  scheduled  air  services  and  slot  allocation  at  airports,  OJ  L  155,
26.6.1993, p. 18 (as amended by Regulation (EC) No 1523/96, OJ L 190, 31.7.1996, p. 11
and Regulation (EC) No 1083/1999, OJ L 131 , 27.05.1999 p. 27).

)(cid:17)(cid:3)1RWLFHV(cid:3)RI(cid:3)WKH(cid:3)&RPPLVVLRQ(cid:3)RI(cid:3)WKH(cid:3)(XURSHDQ(cid:3)&RPPXQLWLHV

–  Notice  concerning  its  assessment  of  certain  subcontracting  agreements  in  relation  to

Article 85(1) of the EEC Treaty, OJ C 1, 3.1.1979, p. 2.

–  Notice on the application of the EC competition rules to cross-border credit transfers, OJ C

251, 27.9.1995, p. 3.

–  Commission  Communication  on  clarification  of  Commission  recommendations  on  the
application  of  competition  rules  to  new  transport  infrastructure  projects,  OJ  C  298,
30.9.1997.

–  Notice on the definition of the relevant market for the purposes of Community competition

law, OJ C 372, 9.12.1997, p. 5.

–  Commission notice - Guidelines on Vertical Restraints, OJ C 291, 13/10/2000, p. 1.

–  Commission  Notice  -  Guidelines  on  the  applicability  of  Article  81  of  the  EC  Treaty  to

horizontal cooperation agreements, OJ C 3, 6.1.2001, p. 2.

17