Press Release: Commission reforms antitrust procedures and expands role of Hearing Officer

The European Commission has adopted a package of measures aimed at increasing interaction with parties in antitrust proceedings and strengthening the mechanisms for safeguarding parties' procedural rights.

These measures will increase the transparency and fairness of competition proceedings. They give parties a clear picture of what to expect at different stages of an antitrust investigation and increase their ability to interact with the Commission services. If parties have a dispute about their procedural rights they can refer the matter to the competition hearing officer, who will have an enhanced role throughout the entirety of antitrust proceedings.