Following the recent consultation, the European Commission has now adopted a new "Block Exemption Regulation" relating to the application of Article 101(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union to distribution agreements.
The Regulation is so new that at the time of writing this article it does not have a regulation number! However, a copy of the Regulation, and the draft new Guidelines, may be downloaded here.
The Regulation will come into force on the 1st June 2010 and, although there is a one-year transitional phase, both suppliers and distributors should review their agreements now, to ensure that they comply with and take advantage of the new Regulation.
For more information please contact Christophe Maillard.
Added: 20th April 2010
