Part 6

Cartel offence

Cartel offence

Circumstances in which cartel offence not committed
188A
1
An individual does not commit an offence under section 188(1) if, under the arrangements—
a
in a case where the arrangements would (operating as the parties intend) affect the supply in the United Kingdom of a product or service, customers would be given relevant information about the arrangements before they enter into agreements for the supply to them of the product or service so affected,
b
in the case of bid-rigging arrangements, the person requesting bids would be given relevant information about them at or before the time when a bid is made, or
c
in any case, relevant information about the arrangements would be published, before the arrangements are implemented, in the manner specified at the time of the making of the agreement in an order made by the Secretary of State.
2
In subsection (1), “
relevant information
” means—
a
the names of the undertakings to which the arrangements relate,
b
a description of the nature of the arrangements which is sufficient to show why they are or might be arrangements of the kind to which section 188(1) applies,
c
the products or services to which they relate, and
d
such other information as may be specified in an order made by the Secretary of State.
3
An individual does not commit an offence under section 188(1) if the agreement is made in order to comply with a legal requirement.
4
In subsection (3), “
legal requirement
” has the same meaning as in paragraph 5 of Schedule 3 to the Competition Act 1998.
5
A power to make an order under this section—
a
is exercisable by statutory instrument,
b
may be exercised so as to make different provision for different cases or different purposes, and
c
includes power to make such incidental, supplementary, consequential, transitory, transitional or saving provision as the Secretary of State considers appropriate.
6
A statutory instrument containing an order under this section is subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.
S. 188A inserted (25.4.2013 for specified purposes, 1.4.2014 in so far as not already in force) by Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 (c. 24), ss. 47(5), 103(1)(i)(3) (with s. 47(8)); S.I. 2014/416, art. 2(1)(b) (with Sch.)