A company’s internal policy established to ensure its complete compliance with competition rules in all its business actions. In a compliance programme the company trains its personnel on competition rules and provides them with guidance on how to avoid agreements or practices which restrict competition when they engage in commercial actions and contacts with competitors. Some compliance programmes also set out what action needs to be taken if staff members find out that an agreement or practice, to which the company is a party, infringes competition rules.
Companies need to be aware of the risks of infringing competition rules and how to develop a compliance strategy that best suits their needs. An effective compliance strategy enables a company to minimize the risk of involvement in competition law infringements, and the costs resulting from anti-competitive behaviour. © European Commission
