On May 4, 2020, the European Union (EU)宣布支持粮食和农业部门的一揽子措施，并减轻Covid-19爆发的影响，包括放松一些关于合作的反托金宝搏App下载拉斯规则。欧洲委员会（EC）之前宣布measures to support the food and agricultural sector through the so-called Coronavirus response investment initiative plus (CRII+) to introduce more flexibility and simplify the use of the European structural investment funds (ESIF), including the European agricultural fund for rural development (EAFRD), as well as making other changes to simplify common agricultural policy (CAP) instruments.

The newly approved measures to stabilize markets include support for private storage in the dairy and meat sectors and authorization of self-organization measures inthe milk, flowers and potatoes sectors, as well as greater flexibility in the implementation of market support programs. The EC has also proposed allowing Member States to use rural development funds to compensate farmers and small agri-food businesses.

Antitrust authorities around the world have taken steps to relax antitrust limitations on cooperation among competitors, while warning against so-called “crisis cartels” or abuses of dominant positions. Previously, except in relation to State aid, the EC response has mainly focused on cooperation in the healthcare sector. EU antitrust rules in the food and agriculture sector are unique, and it is unclear to what extent the new measures may presage EU antitrust relief for other sectors. On the other hand, the newly adopted measures may well be used as a template for additional measures in the food and agricultural sector to stabilize markets and help farmers producing products not covered by this initial package.

Background

欧盟竞争法在农业部门。粮食和农业部门受到另一个欧金宝搏App下载盟政策框架，优先于竞争政策：上限。欧洲联盟（TFEU）运作条约第42条规定，欧盟竞赛规则仅适用于附件一泰国局中列出的农产品生产和贸易，只有欧盟规定的规定。虽然附件一泰国覆盖广泛的农产品，但它并非穷举;例如，它不涵盖源自农产品加工的产品。

EU regulations do in fact extend EU competition rules to the agriculture sector as defined in Annex I TFEU. The current legal framework is set out in Regulation 1308/2013, as amended (theCMO Regulation). Article 206 CMO Regulation provides that EU competition rules apply to all agreements, decisions and practices relating to the production of, or trade in, agricultural products, but subject to certain derogations. These derogations include general derogations and a number of sector-specific derogations designed to enhance farmers’ bargaining power.

The general derogations are set out in Articles 209 and 210 CMO Regulation. Article 209(1) exempts (i) agreements, decisions and practices “necessary for the attainment of the objectives” of the CAP and (ii) agreements, decisions and practices of farmers, farmers’ associations, or associations of such associations, or recognized producer organizations or associations of producer organizations, unless the agreement, decision or practice entails an obligation to charge an “identical price” or “excludes competition.” Article 210(1) CMO Regulation provides that Article 101(1) TFEU shall not apply to agreements, decisions and concerted practices of recognized “interbranch organizations” with the object of carrying out permitted activities. The CMO Regulation also contains special rules for the olive oil, beef and veal products, certain arable crops, dairy, ham, sugar, fruit and vegetables and wine sectors.

第222条CMO监管允许欧盟采纳temporary derogations from certain EU competition rules in situations of severe market imbalances. This article is the basis for the temporary relaxation of rules on self-organizing described below.

EU competition law and the EC’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak。农产品中没有列出的安ex I TFEU are subject to the general EU competition law rules. Many global antitrust authorities, including members of the International Competition Network, or ICN, and the European Competiiton Network, or ECN, have recognized that the COVID-19 outbreak may necessitate new and more extensive cooperative arrangements among competitors than would otherwise be allowed.

4月8日，EC发布了一个Communication关于评估与Covid-19危机（合作框架）的业务合作有关的反垄断问题的临时框架，并创建了专门的Covid-19网页讨论欧盟反垄断规则在危机和邮箱中的应用，COMP-COVID-ANTITRUST@ec.europa.eu，对于寻求对危机应对危机的特定举措的非正式指导的公司。但是，EC的通信侧重于医疗保健部门，并没有提到其他部门，例如食品和农业部门。金宝搏App下载

承认potenti合作框架al need for companies to cooperate to overcome or mitigate the effects of the crisis, especially with respect to medicines and medical equipment used to test and treat COVID-19 patients or to mitigate and possibly overcome the outbreak. The Cooperation Framework recognized that companies might need to rapidly increase production for some products, while reducing production of others, and to reallocate stocks. These steps could require companies to share information on sales and stocks and to coordinate the use of production lines. For example, output could be increased more efficiently if only one medicine was produced at a particular site (as opposed to switching production between different products, which requires time-consuming cleaning of machinery, etc.), balancing economies of scale with the need to avoid excessive reliance on any particular production site.

另一方面，合作框架强调，目前竞争法保护公司和消费者的目前危机，并由特别反对从事反竞争协议或滥用其主导地位的公司（包括由此产生的主导地位）crisis) by exploiting customers and consumers (e.g., by charging prices above normal competitive levels) or limiting production to the ultimate prejudice of consumers (e.g., by obstructing attempts to scale up production to face shortages of supply).

欧盟规定合作arrangem分开ents and abuses of dominant positions, which are governed by Articles 101 and 102 TFEU, financial assistance granted by EU Member States is subject to the EU State aid rules under Article 107 TFEU. Article 107 TFEU generally prohibits “State aid,” which is interpreted broadly to include many types of financial assistance, unless the aid is covered by a general approval under EU rules or specifically approved by the EC. On March 19, 2020, the EC adopted a temporary framework (theState Aid Framework) for the assessment of State aid based on Article 107(3)(b) TFEU, which covers aid measures adopted to address “serious disturbances” in Member State economies. The State Aid Framework applies to aid granted to remedy liquidity shortages and to ensure that the disruptions caused by the COVID-19 outbreak do not undermine the viability of companies, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The State Aid Framework wasamendedfor the first time on April 3, 2020 notably to enable Member States to accelerate the research, testing and production of coronavirus relevant products, and will likely soon be amended further to cover Member State participation in recapitalizations.

Member States must still notify their proposed aid measures to the EC and show that they are necessary, appropriate and proportionate and that all the conditions of the State Aid Framework are respected. Nonetheless, the State Aid Framework allows the EC to approve State aid notifications very quickly.

粮食和农业部门的特殊措施

4月30日批准的特殊措施包括private storage aidfor the dairy and meat sectors, the temporary authorization to self-organize market measures by operators in hard-hit sectors, and flexibility in the implementation of市场支持计划。在这些市场措施之上，EC旨在允许会员国使用农村发展资金来弥补农民和小型农业食品企业，分别达到5,000欧元和50,000欧元。

More specifically, these measures include:

• Private storage aid:EC将支持乳制品（脱脂奶粉，黄油，奶酪）和肉（牛肉，绵羊和山羊肉）产品的私人储存辅助装置。这项措施允许通过临时减少可用供应来暂时撤销两到六个月的时间来稳定市场。

• Flexibility for market support programs:EC将允许灵活地实施葡萄酒，水果和蔬菜，表橄榄和橄榄油，养殖和欧盟的学校计划（覆盖牛奶，水果和蔬菜）以限制供应和重新平衡市场，同时允许重新定位资助危机管理措施的优先事项。

• Temporary derogation from EU competition rules:The EC adopted derogations under Article 222 CMO Regulation for the milk, flowers and potatoes sectors. These derogations allow operators to self-organize and implement market measures to stabilize their sectors for up to six months. For example, the milk sector will be allowed to collectively plan milk production, and the flower and potatoes sector will be allowed to withdraw products from the market. Storage by private operators will also be allowed. Consumer price movements and any possible partitioning of the internal market will be monitored closely to avoid adverse effects.

In addition, the EC proposes – subject to approval by the European Council and Parliament -- that Member States with remaining rural development funds can use this money to provide support to farmers and small agri-food businesses in 2020. Member States can offer support of up to €5,000 per farmer and €50,000 per small business. This comes on top of the de-minimis aid for the agricultural sector and the increased State aid ceiling previously adopted.

Conclusion

欧盟竞争法在农业部门is a complex patchwork of general EU competition rules and highly technical sector-specific rules. The EU’s agricultural and competition policies sometimes conflict, as the EU’s competition policies strictly limit cooperation among competitors to ensure low prices for consumers, while the EU’s CAP allows for a greater degree of cooperation to enhance farmers’ bargaining power, even at the risk of higher prices for consumers.

In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, the EC has dramatically accelerated the approval of State aid and has recognized that the crisis may necessitate a higher level of cooperation among competitors than would otherwise be allowed. Until the adoption of the new measures in the food and agriculture sector, however, the EC has focused on the need for cooperation in the healthcare sector to ensure continuity of supply. The EC has so far not followed the lead of other authorities granting antitrust relief to other sectors, such as supermarkets and transport.

The new food and agriculture measures were adopted under CAP legislation, not under the traditional EU competition law framework. As such, they focus on stabilizing markets and supporting farmers rather than ensuring the supply of scarce commodities for consumers. It is unclear whether these measures will serve as precedents for EC antitrust relief in other sectors. On the other hand, it seems likely that these measures will serve as a template for measures to support farmers in other sectors as the current crisis evolves.

Jay Modrall, Partner, Norton Rose Fulbright LLP

James R. Modrall is an antitrust and competition lawyer based in Brussels. He joined Norton Rose Fulbright LLP in September 2013 as partner, having been a resident partner in a major US law firm since 1986. A US-qualified lawyer by background, he is a member of the bar in New York, Washington, D.C., and Belgium. With 27 years of experience, he is a leading advisor for EU and international competition work, in particular the review and clearance of international mergers and acquisitions. Mr Modrall also has extensive experience with EU financial regulatory reform, advising the world’s leading private equity groups in connection with the new EU directive on alternative investment fund managers and leading banks and investment firms on EU initiatives including EU regulation of derivatives, EU reforms in financial market regulation and the creation of a new EU framework for crisis management, among others.Mr. Modrall’s native language is English, and he is fluent in Italian and proficient in Dutch and French.