Companies and individuals seeking damages from antitrust violations soon will find it easier to do so under a new proposal adopted by the European Commission this week.
The commission’s proposed directive will remove several procedural hurdles that victims – whether corporate or individual – currently face when seeking claims from antitrust violations, including cartels and abuse of dominant market positions. Because of varying rules in member states, whether a victim can win damages often depends on where that victim is located. The directive would make the process more uniform throughout the European Union without stripping national authorities of their ability to investigate or sanction infringements.
