The European Competition Network (ECN) provides a forum for cooperation and coordination for the development of a common competition enforcement culture in the EU.
Directive 2019/1 – or more commonly called the ECN+ Directive – entered into force on the 3rd of February 2019. The Directive aims to ensure that, when applying EU antitrust rules national competition authorities have the appropriate enforcement tools in order to bring about a genuine common competition enforcement area. For this end the Directive provides multiple guarantees and standards, among others:
- the independence of competition authorities in applying EU antitrust rules;
- the basic guarantee of the human, financial and technological resources they need to perform their tasks;
- the ability to impose effective, proportionate, and dissuasive fines;
- the ability to have effective leniency programmes in place.
The guarantees in the Directive contribute to effective enforcement by competition authorities and provide a basis for closer cooperation.
On the 29th of November 2024, the European Commission adopted a report on the transposition of the ECN+ Directive. More information on the report is available on the Commission's website.