The Bundeskartellamt announces as follows:
Only the notices and information leaflets which are published on the Bundeskartellamt’s website (www.bundeskartellamt.de) are effective as the official versions of the Bundeskartellamt's administrative principles. These include the following publications:

• Information leaflet on the German - control of concentrations
• Information leaflet on domestic effect
• Information Leaflet on Procedures for Post-Merger Notification (only available in German)
• Information leaflet on the possibilities of cooperation for small and medium-sized enterprises
• Notice on the Non-Prosecution of Cooperation Agreements of Minor Importance (“de minimis Notice”)
• Guidelines on the setting of fines
• Leniency Programme 
• Notice on the application of § 20 (4) sentence 2 ARC (Offer below Cost Price) (only available in German)
  

On this page you will find guidelines and information leaflets on the individual areas of competition law. All documents are in PDF format.

In accordance with EC Regulation 1/2003 the Bundeskartellamt is obliged from 1 May 2004 to apply Art. 81 or Art. 82 of the EC Treaty as well as national competition law to agreements between companies, decisions of associations of companies, concerted practices and abusive conduct which are likely to affect trade between the Member States. According to Art. 3 (2) of Regulation 1/2003 Article 81 of the EC Treaty takes precedence over national regulations.

With the 7th Amendment to the ARC, which came into force on 1 July 2005,
national provisions have been adapted to European antitrust law. The
Bundeskartellamt is therefore currently revising its leaflets on non-binding price recommendations and on principles of interpretation of market dominance in merger control under German antitrust law.

Matters relating to individual cases should be clarified with the respective decision division.