EU Competitor Collaboration Rules, Including R&D And Information Sharing, Set To Change

Sharp on the heels of its review of its rules on vertical agreements (see here), the European Commission has also announced its intention to revise its rules and guidance on cooperation between competitors - the Horizontal Guidelines and the two related block exemptions on R&D and Specialization agreements. Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice-President in charge of competition policy, committed the Commission to "reflect on how to revise these rules in order to ensure that they remain fit for purpose".

The Commission has said it will examine:

• whether the R&D block exemption allows for the identification of all pro-competitive R&D agreements;
• whether the R&D block exemption requirements that all parties are given full access to the results of the R&D and pre-existing know-how are justified;