Guidance

Horizontal agreements

Guidance on how the CMA applies the Chapter I prohibition in the Competition Act 1998 to horizontal agreements, and on the application of the Specialisation Agreements Block Exemption and the Research and Development Block Exemption.

• From: Competition and Markets Authority
• Published: 16 August 2023

Documents

Guidance on horizontal agreements

Ref: CMA184

PDF, 1.64 MB, 231 pages

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Details

This guidance explains how the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) applies the Chapter I prohibition in the Competition Act 1998 to horizontal agreements, meaning agreements between actual or potential competitors.

The guidance describes the application of the Competition Act 1998 (Specialisation Agreements Block Exemption) Order 2022 and the Competition Act 1998 (Research and Development Agreements Block Exemption) Order 2022.

It also provides guidance on the application of the Chapter I prohibition in the Competition Act 1998 to other common types of horizontal agreements which are not covered by these two block exemptions.

Read our simple guide for anyone who wants to work with or collaborate with another business, and needs to understand how to do this without breaking competition law.

Published 16 August 2023