EC consults on Block Exemption rules

  19 October 2020

The European Commission has opened the consultation on the Motor Vehicle Block Exemption Regulation to assess its effectiveness.

The current regulation came into force on 1 June 2010 exempting the motor sector from specific areas of EU Article 101 which prohibits anti-competitive agreements.

Block Exemption gives sector-specific guidelines for the automotive sector including access to technical information for independents, freedom to source and supply spare parts, and the prevention of misuse of vehicle manufacturer warranty terms.

The NFDA is to respond on behalf of UK retailers as well as under the Alliance of European Car Dealers and Repairers. The two associations previously contributed to EC consultation on the Vertical Block Exemption Regulation.

“Over the coming months, we will formulate the sector’s response,” said NFDA chief executive Sue Robinson. “We will keep our members updated.”

Consultation is open until 25 January 2021 and the future exemption regulation will come into force after May 2023. The consultation questionnaire is available online.

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