The development of British competition law. A complete overhaul and harmonization

Article 85 of the EC Treaty

Article 85 (1)of what is now the European Community Treaty prohibits agreements

and concerted practices between undertakings and decisions of associations of

undertakings that have as their object or effect the prevention, restriction or

distortion of competition within the Common Market and that may affect trade

between Member States. Article 85 (2) provides that such agreements shall be

automatically void. Article 85 (3) provides for the possibility of exemption from the

prohibition contained in Article 85 (1) if certain specified conditions are fulfilled.

The prohibition contained in Article 85 (1) does not apply to an agreement that does

not appreciably affect competition and trade between Member States either because

of the economic insignificance of the agreement and of any network of agreements

of which it forms part or because of the application of a still ill-defined „rule of

reason“.