EU: Commission, MEPs reach agreement on cartel victim rights

The European Commission and MEPs reached an agreement late Tuesday on a way to expand the rights of cartel victims, say reports, as the groups sought to preserve the effectiveness of the EU’s leniency program.

According to reports, the new policies will seep into member states’ legal systems to facilitate consumers’ pursuit of legal action against anticompetitive companies. Reports say member states’ courts will have the power to force those companies to hand over information regarding the case, and will allow the victims several years to seek compensation for the collusion from the time regulators publish their decision on companies’ wrongdoings.

The policy changes aim to address consumer concerns over obstacles faced when pursuing litigation against anticompetitive firms. In the past, victims have reportedly had trouble obtaining evidence or covering the cost of such litigation.

Follow-on actions have been filed in various member states, but reports say the Commission hopes to facilitate the process.

”This directive will remove the barriers that currently prevent the victims of antitrust infringements in the EU from obtaining effective compensation,” European Commissioner Joaquin Almunia announced, adding that the changes will also ensure a balance between actions for damages from those companies and competition enforcement.

Among the top concerns for authorities regarding the changes included worries that consumers, when accessing company documentation and evidence, would also see incriminating statements from companies that filed for leniency from antitrust sanctions under the EU leniency program. But reports say MEPs and the Commission have compromised to limit the circumstances under which victims can obtain that information.

Full Content: European Voice

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