Abstract

The new block exemption regulation on vertical restraints in the motor vehicle sector cannot be easily reconciled, in many respects, with current European competition policy. The regulation represents an intersection between different bodies of law, marking a fundamental step in the continuous debate on goals and limits of antitrust rules. This paper focuses on two main features of the block exemption regulation: on the one hand, the protection of dealers' economic independence "vis-à-vis" manufacturers; on the other hand, the promotion of intrabrand competition, as a means to foster cross-border trade, price convergence and market integration.