Antitrust
Actions for Damages > Documents
White Paper
On 2 April 2008, the Commission adopted a White Paper on Damages Actions for Breach of the EC antitrust rules.
The White Paper is accompanied by a Commission Staff Working Paper on Damages Actions for Breach of the EC antitrust rules
and an Impact Assessment Report (Staff Working Document).
The Impact Assessment Report draws, inter alia, on the findings of an external impact study undertaken, in response to a tender awarded by the Commission , by the Centre for European Policies Studies, in association with Erasmus University Rotterdam and Libera Università Internazionale degli Studi Sociali Guido Carli.
Comments received on the White Paper
- The European Parliament resolution of 26 March 2009 and the European and Social Committee opinion
on 25 March strongly backed the White paper. Commissioner Kroes welcomed their support.
- A public consultation on the White Paper took place until 15 July 2008
Green Paper
On 19 December 2005, the Commission adopted a Green Paper and a Commission Staff Working Document on Damages Actions for Breach of the EC antitrust rules.
Commission staff working document
- Commission Staff working paper de en fr

SEC(2005) 1732
Comments received on the green paper
A public consultation on the green paper took place during the spring of 2006. All comments received by Commission are available here.
Study
A study was carried out for the Commission to identify and analyse the obstacles to successful damages actions in the Member States of the European Union. The study found that levels of private enforcement through damages claims in Europe are currently very low, and that this area is characterised by "total underdevelopment" and an "astonishing diversity" in the approaches taken by the Member States.
Speeches and Articles
- Consumers at the heart of EU Competition Policy
Neelie KROES, address at BEUC dinner, Strasbourg, 22 April 2008.
- The White Paper on damages actions for breach of the EC antitrust rules

Rainer Becker, Nicolas Bessot and Eddy De Smijter, Directorate-General for Competition. Competition Policy Newsletter, number 2, 2008, page 4.
- Making consumers' right to damages a reality: the case for collective redress mechanisms in antitrust claims
Neelie KROES, speaking at the Conference on collective redress for European consumers, Lisbon, 9 November 2007.
- Reinforcing the fight against cartels and developing private antitrust damage
actions: two tools for a more competitive Europe
Neelie KROES, speaking at the joint Commission/IBA conference on "Cartel enforcement and Antitrust damage actions in Europe, Brussels, 8 March 2007
- The Manfredi judgment of the ECJ and how it relates to the Commission's initiative on EC antitrust damages actions

Eddy De Smijter and Denis O'Sullivan. Competition Policy Newsletter, number 3, 2006 (autumn), page 23.
- Developments in competition policy for the second half of 2006

Neelie KROES, speaking at the European Parliament Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee, Brussels, 25 October 2006
- The Green Paper on antitrust damages actions: empowering European citizens to enforce their rights

Neelie KROES, speaking at the European Parliament Workshop on damages actions for breach of the EC antitrust rules, Brussels, 6 June 2006
- Green Paper on damages actions for breach of the EC antitrust rules
Eddy De Smijter, Costanze Stropp and Donncadh Woods. Competition Policy Newsletter, number 1, 2006 (spring), page 1. 
- More private antitrust enforcement through better access to damages: an invitation for an open debate
Neelie KROES, Academy of European Law conference Private enforcement in EC competition law: the Green Paper on damages actions, Brussels, 9th March 2006. (SPEECH/06/158)
(see also further conference documentation)
- Damages Actions for Breaches of EU Competition Rules: Realities and Potentials
Neelie KROES, Cour de Cassation, Paris, 17th October 2005. (SPEECH/05/613)
- Enhancing Actions for Damages for Breach of Competition Rules in Europe
Neelie KROES, Harvard Club, New York, 22th September 2005 (SPEECH/05/533)
- Private litigation as a key complement to public enforcement of competition rules and the first conclusions on the implementation of the new Merger Regulation Mario MONTI, IBA - 8th Annual Competition Conference, Fiesole, Italy, 17th September 2004. (SPEECH/04/403)
- Private enforcement of Community competition law: modernisation and the road ahead
Donncadh Woods, Ailsa Sinclair and David Ashton, Directorate-General Competition.
Competition Policy Newsletter, number 2, 2004 (summer), page 31.
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