Antitrust compliance programs in Europe : status quo and challenges ahead

Abstract

The Policy Brief summarizes the discussion which took place on 26th – 27th June 2015 at the European University Institute (EUI) in Florence in the context of the first workshop of ENTraNCE for Executives. The workshop focused on the application of antitrust compliance programs in Europe. The workshop gathered representatives of National Competition Authorities (NCAs), international organizations, academia, industry, as well as law firms and economics consultancies. During the workshop, participants agreed that private firms should introduce compliance programs in order to discourage internally antitrust violations; different models of compliance programs were compared and analyzed during the workshop. On the other hand, different positions emerged in relation to the role played by NCAs in designing antitrust compliance programs, and whether the existence of a compliance program would justify a reduction of the fine imposed by a NCA.