p. 25310. Block exemption regulations under Article 101 TFEU
- Sandra Marco ColinoSandra Marco ColinoResearch Assistant Professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong
Abstract
This chapter focuses on block exemption regulations, which have become crucial in the application of the exception contained in Article 101(3) TFEU to agreements whose pro-competitive effects may outweigh any potential threats to competition. The current block exemptions represent an attempt to reconcile economic considerations and the needs of business. They are therefore less prescriptive than earlier versions, and tend to set a benchmark share of the relevant market within which they are applicable. The chapter fleshes out the details of the principal block exemptions presently in force, and provides a step-by-step guide to their application in the shape of a general flow chart. It covers legal basis and withdrawal, block exemptions for vertical agreements, and horizontal block exemptions.