#52026SC0175EU Review of Motor Vehicle Competition Rules
AI-generated summary for informational purposes only. Not legal advice. See the original source for the authoritative text.
The document reviews whether the EU’s special competition rules for motor vehicle repair, maintenance, and spare parts distribution are still working as intended. These rules affect vehicle makers, authorised and independent repair networks, spare parts suppliers, dealers, and businesses that rely on fair access to repair and parts markets. The evaluation focuses on whether the current exemption system still protects competition while allowing efficient distribution and service arrangements. For compliance teams, the practical point is that vertical agreements in the automotive sector remain under close EU competition scrutiny, especially where they could restrict access to spare parts, repair services, or technical information.
AI-generated summary. May contain errors. Refer to official sources for legal decisions.
Key Changes
- Evaluates the EU block exemption rules for motor vehicle repair, maintenance, and spare parts agreements.
- Confirms that new vehicle distribution agreements are mainly assessed under the general vertical agreements framework.
- Highlights continued competition concerns around access to spare parts, repair services, and technical information.
Obligations
What this law requires
Motor vehicle sector undertakings using vertical agreements for repair and maintenance services or spare parts distribution must ensure those agreements meet the Vertical Block Exemption Regulation requirements before relying on the Motor Vehicle Block Exemption Regulation exemption.
Vertical agreements for the sale or resale of motor vehicle spare parts or for repair and maintenance services must not contain the additional hardcore restrictions listed in Article 5 of Regulation (EU) No 461/2010 if the parties intend to benefit from the block exemption.
Undertakings must assess motor vehicle sector vertical agreements under Article 101 TFEU where those agreements may restrict competition in new vehicle distribution, repair and maintenance services, or spare parts distribution.
Restrictions identified as excluded restrictions under Article 5 of the Vertical Block Exemption Regulation fall outside the block exemption and must be separately assessed even if the rest of the agreement may remain exempted.