European Parliament Calls For A Rethink On Aspects Of EU Competition Policy

On 9 March 2010, the European Parliament ("Parliament") adopted a resolution relating to the European Commission's 2008 Report on Competition Policy. The Parliament broadly welcomes the Commission's report, in particular, the Commission's focus on cartels and consumers. The Parliament does however call for a rethink on certain other aspects of competition policy - in particular in relation to the Commission's "fines only" policy, sector-specific inquiries and the effectiveness of Member States' state-aid activities during the financial crisis.

In relation to sector-specific inquiries, the Parliament considers that the Commission should initiate inquiries at the recommendation of...