EU antitrust rules prohibit restrictive business practices between companies, such as price fixing, market sharing, limiting supplies or other forms of cartels, and abuse of a dominant position on a market, such as when companies exclude competitors or exploit their dominant position to increase prices or limit choice artificially.

BEUC intervenes in competition investigations by the European Commission, and in cases before the EU Courts concerning competition decisions by the Commission, when companies have harmed consumers, for example by abusively increasing prices or limiting consumers’ choice.

BEUC also intervenes to ensure that consumer interests are given the priority they deserve when there are reviews of legislation and guidelines concerning application of the EU’s antitrust rules.