A New Era of ECN Cooperation–Achievements and Challenges with Special Focus on Work in the Leniency Field - World Competition View A New Era of ECN Cooperation–Achievements and Challenges with Special Focus on Work in the Leniency Field by - World Competition A New Era of ECN Cooperation–Achievements and Challenges with Special Focus on Work in the Leniency Field 30 1

The article gives an overview of the cooperation between antitrust enforcers in the European Competition

Network (ECN) three years after it coming into existence. It recalls the main principles behind this unique

cooperation form and gives an insight into its working methods, achievements and challenges. The authors,

working within the dedicated ECN unit in DG Competition, explain how the work-sharing and

information exchanges between the enforcers have resulted in an enhanced, strategic and coherent

application of Community competition rules throughout Europe. Focus is given to ECN’s increasing role

in influencing policy reflections beyond the legal obligations in Regulation 1/2003. This new era of ECN

cooperation is illustrated by work undertaken in the leniency field. The authors give a detailed account of

the ECN Model Leniency programme, unanimously endorsed by all ECN members in September 2006

as a solution for the multiple parallel leniency filing issue in Europe. The authors explain the background

and the status of this ground-breaking project and reveal the reflections behind its individual provisions.

World Competition