The Competition (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019

Communications Act 2003 U.K.

11.—(1) The Communications Act 2003 M1 is amended as follows.

[F1 (2) In section 371(2)—

(a) at the end of paragraph (b), insert “or”;

(b) for paragraphs (c) and (d) substitute—

“(c) transferred EU anti-trust commitments or transferred EU anti-trust directions (as defined in section 40ZA of that Act),”.]

(3) Paragraph 6 of Schedule 11 M2 is amended as follows.

(4) In sub-paragraph (6), at the beginning insert “ Subject to paragraph 6A, ”.

(5) In sub-paragraph (7)(a)—

(a) after “European Court” insert “before [F2 IP completion day]”, and

(b) for “of that court” substitute “ made by that court before [F2 IP completion day]”.

(6) After sub-paragraph (7) insert—

“(7A) In sub-paragraph (7)(a), the reference to principles laid down before [F3 IP completion day] is a reference to such principles as they have effect in EU law immediately before [F3 IP completion day], disregarding the effect of principles laid down, and decisions made, by the European Court on or after [F3 IP completion day].”.

(7) After that paragraph insert—

“Competition tests applying to OFCOM's decisions: EU principles etc

6A.— (1) Paragraph 6(6) does not require OFCOM to secure that there is no inconsistency with a principle or decision referred to in paragraph 6(7)(a)—

(a) so far as the principle or decision is excluded from the law of England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland on or after [F4 IP completion day], or

(b) so far as doing so would be incompatible with OFCOM's duty to secure that there is no inconsistency with a decision referred to in paragraph 6(7)(b).

(2) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (1)(a), a principle or decision is to be treated as not excluded from the law of England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland if it is excluded only by virtue of an exclusion or revocation in the Competition (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019.

(3) Paragraph 6(6) does not require OFCOM to secure that there is no inconsistency with a principle or decision referred to in paragraph 6(7)(a) if OFCOM think that it is appropriate to act otherwise in the light of one or more of the following—

(a) differences between the competition tests and Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union as it had effect immediately before [F4 IP completion day];

(b) differences between markets in the United Kingdom and markets in the European Union;

(c) developments in forms of economic activity since the time when the principle or decision referred to in paragraph 6(7)(a) was laid down or made;

(d) generally accepted principles of competition analysis or the generally accepted application of such principles;

(e) a principle laid down, or decision made, by the European Court on or after [F4 IP completion day];

(f) the particular circumstances under consideration.”.

Textual Amendments

F1 Sch. 1 para. 11(2) substituted (31.12.2020 immediately before IP completion day) by The Competition (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1343), regs. 1(1), 23(2)

F2 Words in Sch. 1 para. 11(5) substituted (31.12.2020 immediately before IP completion day) by The Competition (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1343), regs. 1(1), 23(3)

F3 Words in Sch. 1 para. 11(6) substituted (31.12.2020 immediately before IP completion day) by The Competition (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1343), regs. 1(1), 23(4)

F4 Words in Sch. 1 para. 11(7) substituted (31.12.2020 immediately before IP completion day) by The Competition (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 (S.I. 2020/1343), regs. 1(1), 23(5)

Commencement Information

I1 Sch. 1 para. 11 in force at 31.12.2020 on IP completion day (in accordance with 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)), see reg. 1(1)

Marginal Citations

M1 2003 c. 21.

M2 Paragraph 6 of Schedule 11 was amended by S.I. 2012/1809 and S.I. 2014/892.