Block Exemption in United Kingdom

Definition of Block Exemption

In accordance with the work A Dictionary of Law, this is a description of Block Exemption : Exemption from *Article 81 of the Treaty of Rome for certain types of anticompetitive agreements that fall within the scope of special EU regulations that have direct effect in the EU (See Community legislation). Block exemptions exist in a number of different areas, including *vertical agreements and agreements relating to motor-vehicle distribution, research and development, specialization, and *technology transfer. The regulations are published in the EU’s *Official Journal; any agreement that complies with the regulations will be exempt from Article 81. Many contracts in the EU are drafted to comply with the block exemption regulations by using the wording of those regulations in the agreements themselves. Block exemptions can also be issued under UK competition law. EU block exemptions provide an automatic exemption from the provisions of UK competition law in the Competition Act 1998.