Actual competitor

Firm which is either currently active on the same relevant market as the company under investigation, or which is able to switch produc- tion to the relevant products and market them in the short term without incurring significant additional costs or risks in response...

Advisory committee

Committee composed of representatives of the Member States which is consulted by the Commission in antitrust and merger cases where such a consultation is foreseen. A preliminary draft decision by the Commission is submitted to, and discussed with, the advisory...

AKZO procedure

Procedural rule established by the European Court of Justice which has also been inserted into the mandate of the hearing officer and which concerns the disclosure of confidential documents or business information by the Commission. This rule says that where the...

Ancillary restraints

Restrictions on the parties to an agreement (including an agreement to form a concentration), which do not constitute the primary object of the agreement, but are directly related to and necessary for the proper functioning of the objectives envisaged by agreement. In...

Antitrust (concept)

Field of competition law and policy. In the EU context, both the rules governing anti-competitive agreements and practices (cartels and other forms of collusion) based on Article 101 of the EC Treaty and the rules prohibiting abuses of (existing) dominant positions...