Competition & EU

Every sector has to deal with it: Competition Law. Competition law places limits on the market behaviour of companies and constantly evolves. Now that online sales are drastically increasing, competition authorities no longer focus only on traditional cartel arrangements, but also increasingly on vertical arrangements, including arrangements between suppliers and distributors.

The rise in online sales is creating major challenges. How do you choose the distribution system that best suits your company? Do you switch to a selective distribution system, for example, or choose a more open type of distribution? There are options to keep a firm grip on your distribution policy while remaining compliant with the competition rules.

We also see a trend where companies increasingly seek partnerships, which often involve aspects such as innovation and sustainability. However, this is subject to restrictions under competition law. Which arrangements are permitted, and which are not? And how do you determine that?

If you opt for a more structural partnership, for example through an acquisition, you must also take into account that you may have an obligation to report this to the competent competition authorities.

Our approach

Every company is faced with Competition Law from time to time. When that happens, we will ensure that you can make optimum use of the opportunities that competition law offers you. Where necessary, we extend boundaries to enable you to operate across borders, because this area of law is constantly evolving, which offers opportunities!

Our experts in the Competition & EU team can advise you on all aspects of competition law, state aid law and the Public Enterprises (Market Activities) Act. In addition, our lawyers regularly provide customised training courses on compliance and dawn raids. Lastly, they can assist your company during a raid and the subsequent investigation by the competition authorities.

Our experience

• Cartel ban
• Distribution relationships
• Compliance & dawn raids
• Concentration regulation by the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets and the Dutch Healthcare Authority
• Abuse of dominant position
• State aid law
• Public Enterprises (Market Activities) Act

Our clients

Public authorities (in connection with state aid), retail companies (in connection with selective distribution), companies on the acquisition path (in connection with registering mergers).