Eu Guidelines Horizontal Cooperation Agreements

Posted by: admin | Posted on: februari 4th, 2022 | 0 Comments

As a copy editor who`s experienced in SEO, it`s important to create content that`s both informative and optimized for search engines. In today`s article, we`ll be discussing the EU guidelines regarding horizontal cooperation agreements.

Horizontal cooperation agreements are agreements between companies that are operating at the same level of the supply chain. These agreements can help companies collaborate to achieve common goals, such as improving efficiency, reducing costs, or developing new products or services.

In the European Union, there are specific guidelines that companies must follow when entering into horizontal cooperation agreements. These guidelines help ensure that these agreements do not violate EU competition law and that they do not harm consumers or other businesses.

The first guideline is that these agreements must not contain any provisions that restrict competition. This means that companies cannot agree to fix prices, limit production, or allocate markets or customers. Doing so would be considered anti-competitive behavior and would violate EU competition law.

Another important guideline is that these agreements must not create a dominant position in the market. The purpose of horizontal cooperation agreements is to promote competition and innovation, not to create a monopoly. If the agreement would give the companies involved too much market power, it would be considered harmful to consumers and other businesses.

The third guideline is that these agreements must not harm consumers. If the agreement would lead to increased prices or decreased quality of goods or services, it would be considered harmful to consumers and would violate EU competition law.

Finally, companies must be transparent about their cooperation agreements. This means they must provide information about the terms and conditions of the agreement to the relevant authorities and other businesses that may be affected.

In conclusion, horizontal cooperation agreements can be beneficial for companies looking to collaborate with others at the same level of the supply chain. However, it`s important to follow the EU guidelines to ensure that these agreements do not violate competition law or harm consumers or other businesses. By doing so, companies can promote competition and innovation while also maintaining a level playing field.