The European Commission launched a public consultation on the draft revised block exemption regulation on vertical agreements.
On 9 July 2021 the Commission lunched a public consultation on a draft amendment of Regulation (EU) No 330/2010 on the application of Article 101(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union to categories of vertical agreements and concerted practices (OJ L 102, 23.4.2010, p. 1), as well as on a draft for a review of the guidelines setting out the principles for the assessment of vertical agreements under Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (OJ C 130, 19.5.2010, p. 1). Through the consultation, the Commission aims to gather stakeholders feedback on the changes it proposes to address the issues identified in the evaluation of the current rules (see the document Evaluation of the Vertical Block Exemption Regulation, SWD(2020) 172 final). The evaluation showed that the block exemption Regulation and the guidelines are useful tools that facilitate the assessment of vertical agreements and help to reduce compliance costs for businesses. It also showed room for improvement, notably the need to adapt both texts to the growth of e-commerce and to ensure a more harmonised application of the vertical rules across the European Union. For further information and to consult the two drafts and the explanatory note, see the announcement published on the European Commission’s website at the following link: https://ec.europa.eu.
