The German Parliament passes an amendment modernizing national competition law and giving way to damages actions (Gesetz gegen Wettbewerbsbeschränkungen in der Fassung des Beschlusses des Deutschen Bundestages)

On 1 July 2005, major changes to German competition law entered into force. The seventh amendment of the German Act against Restraints of Competition (“ARC”) aims to bring Germany into line with the modernised EU competition law rules. Damages actions The amended section 33 ARC deals with damages claims against companies that have infringed the ARC. Although the old ARC rules had already entitled companies affected by competition violations to damages, claimants faced difficulties in the past in enforcing their claims in the