On 1 January 1998, the Netherlands took an important step by introducing a new Competition Act. With this Act, the Netherlands has moved into line with the European Community (EC) competition rules, including a system of merger control. Belgium also has a Competition Act, entered into force on 1 April 1993, almost a literal copy of the EC competition rules. EC law has been and will continue to be a source of inspiration for the interpretation of the Dutch and Belgian competition legislation. This book describes the substantive and procedural aspects of all three regimes with special emphasis on EC law. It serves as a valuable preparatory mechanism for businesspeople active in the Netherlands and Belgium and their professional advisors who will often find themselves confronted with the possible application of all three systems described in this book.

