Request by the RSV for an exemption from the prohibitionary clauses of the competition act to gather and impart market information on the beverage market

The Competition Authority has today published a decision (No. 40/2017), regarding Rannsóknarseturs verslunarinnar (RSV) request for exemption from the prohibitionary clauses under Article 15 of the Competition Act no. 44/2005, to establish a data base for sales figures in the beverage markets. The data base would benefit competitors in the beverage markets, as well as other companies engaged in market research. Following an extensive investigation and data collection, it was the opinion of the Competition Authority that such cooperation would distort competition in such a way that it would be contrary to Article 10 of the Competition Act. Furthermore, it was the opinion of the Competition Authority that RSV had not shown that the cooperation fulfilled the conditions of Article 15 of the Competition Act. RSV request for exemption was therfor denied.