(1)After section 47 of the 1998 Act there is inserted—
(1)This section applies to—
(a)any claim for damages, or3
(b)any other claim for a sum of money,
which a person who has suffered loss or damage as a result of the infringement of a relevant prohibition may make in civil proceedings brought in any part of the United Kingdom.
(2)In this section “relevant prohibition” means any of the following—
(a)the Chapter I prohibition;
(b)the Chapter II prohibition;
(c)the prohibition in Article 81(1) of the Treaty;
(d)the prohibition in Article 82 of the Treaty;
(e)the prohibition in Article 65(1) of the Treaty establishing the [F1European Union] ;
(f)the prohibition in Article 66(7) of that Treaty.
(3)For the purpose of identifying claims which may be made in civil proceedings, any limitation rules that would apply in such proceedings are to be disregarded.
(4)A claim to which this section applies may (subject to the provisions of this Act and Tribunal rules) be made in proceedings brought before the Tribunal.
(5)But no claim may be made in such proceedings—
(a)until a decision mentioned in subsection (6) has established that the relevant prohibition in question has been infringed; and
(b)otherwise than with the permission of the Tribunal, during any period specified in subsection (7) or (8) which relates to that decision.
(6)The decisions which may be relied on for the purposes of proceedings under this section are —
(a)a decision of the OFT that the Chapter I prohibition or the Chapter II prohibition has been infringed;
(b)a decision of the OFT that the prohibition in Article 81(1) or Article 82 of the Treaty has been infringed;
(c)a decision of the Tribunal (on an appeal from a decision of the OFT) that the Chapter I prohibition, the Chapter II prohibition or the prohibition in Article 81(1) or Article 82 of the Treaty has been infringed;
(d)a decision of the European Commission that the prohibition in Article 81(1) or Article 82 of the Treaty has been infringed; or
(e)a decision of the European Commission that the prohibition in Article 65(1) of the Treaty establishing the [F1European Union] has been infringed, or a finding made by the European Commission under Article 66(7) of that Treaty.
(7)The periods during which proceedings in respect of a claim made in reliance on a decision mentioned in subsection (6)(a), (b) or (c) may not be brought without permission are—
(a)in the case of a decision of the OFT, the period during which an appeal may be made to the Tribunal under section 46, section 47 or the EC Competition Law (Articles 84 and 85) Enforcement Regulations 2001 (S.I. 2001/2916);
(b)in the case of a decision of the OFT which is the subject of an appeal mentioned in paragraph (a), the period following the decision of the Tribunal on the appeal during which a further appeal may be made under section 49 or under those Regulations;
(c)in the case of a decision of the Tribunal mentioned in subsection (6)(c), the period during which a further appeal may be made under section 49 or under those Regulations;
(d)in the case of any decision which is the subject of a further appeal, the period during which an appeal may be made to the House of Lords from a decision on the further appeal;
and, where any appeal mentioned in paragraph (a), (b), (c) or (d) is made, the period specified in that paragraph includes the period before the appeal is determined.
(8)The periods during which proceedings in respect of a claim made in reliance on a decision or finding of the European Commission may not be brought without permission are—
(a)the period during which proceedings against the decision or finding may be instituted in the European Court; and
(b)if any such proceedings are instituted, the period before those proceedings are determined.
(9)In determining a claim to which this section applies the Tribunal is bound by any decision mentioned in subsection (6) which establishes that the prohibition in question has been infringed.
(10)The right to make a claim to which this section applies in proceedings before the Tribunal does not affect the right to bring any other proceedings in respect of the claim.”
(2)Section 47A applies to claims arising before the commencement of this section as it applies to claims arising after that time.