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Dear members,
As you all know, the public consultation on the review of Block Exemption Regulation 330/2010 on vertical agreements, launched by the European Commission on 4 February 2019, ended on 27 May. CECRA, as well as several of its members, have sent their contributions to the roadmap.
All stakeholders who have responded to the consultation are now invited to participate in a workshop, organised by the European Commission’s Directorate General for Competition (DG COMP) on 14 and 15 November in Brussels. Only one or two representatives (in some cases) will be authorised to represent their organisation. CECRA will be represented at the workshop by Arnold Koopmans, Executive VP and Chairman of the legal working group, and by its Director General. Feedback on the workshop will be given to members during the European Car Dealers meeting of 26 November in Brussels (invitations have already been sent).
Members are kindly asked to provide CECRA with concrete examples of problems encountered by dealers which are linked to competition law. These facts, figures or studies will be used to demonstrate that the absence of specific rules on sales have had effects on competition. These feedbacks are expected as soon as possible (by the end of next week at the latest) in order to be discussed during the ECD meeting on 26 November, in the presence of a DG COMP official.
Regarding the upcoming European Commission, its entry into office, which was initially scheduled for 1 November, has been delayed until 1 December (best case scenario). This setback is due to the rejection of the Romanian, French and Hungarian Commissioners-designate by the European Parliament at the beginning of October.
Romania, which should take over the Transport portfolio, has not formally put forward any new names as it currently does not have a government. Among the candidates are two EPP MEPs, Siegfried MURESAN and Adina-Ioana VALEAN, as well as former MEP Victor NEGRESCU (S&D).
French President Emmanuel MACRON has proposed Thierry BRETON, former Economy Minister and current CEO of tech company Atos, as the next French Commissioner-designate for the Internal Market, as a replacement for Sylvie GOULARD. According to several sources, Mr. BRETON has already been vetted by EC President Ursula VON DER LEYEN. His hearing should take place during the first half of November, while the election of the College of Commissioners as a whole is currently scheduled for 27 November.
As part of its lobbying action plan, CECRA has started meeting the relevant and sometimes newly-elected MEPs and many more have been scheduled. These will give our organisation the opportunity to present our main priorities.
Yours sincerely,
Jean-Charles Herrenschmidt
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