The EU Court of First Instance refuses that rules which organise the exercise of a profession fall outside the scope of Article 81(1) EC merely because they are classified as rules of professional conduct by the competent bodies (Institute of Professional Representatives before the European Patent Office)

Case T-144/99 Institute of Professional Representatives before the European Patent Office v Commission of the European Communities* 1. The mere fact that rules which organise the exercise of a profession are classified as 'rules of professional conduct' by the competent bodies does not mean that they fall as a matter of principle outside the scope of Article 81(1) EC. Only an examination on a case-by-case basis permits an assessment of the validity of such rules under Article 81(1), in particular by taking account of their impact on the freedom of action