Several European countries have introduced so-called new competition tools (NCTs) in recent years, empowering their competition authorities to intervene in markets without proving an infringement of antitrust rules.
NCTs primarily target structural, systemic competition issues or market failures that cannot be effectively tackled through traditional antitrust enforcement against anticompetitive agreements and abuses of dominance.
After identifying such competition problems through a market investigation or sector inquiry, the competition authority can impose remedies on, or accept binding commitments by, companies operating in the relevant market or sector.
So far, 7 of the 31 European countries researched by Cullen International have adopted NCTs, with several others expected to follow.
“Find out more” to request more in-depth information!
Clients of our Competition service can “Access the full content”.
more news
22 October 26
IoT regulation: new operational requirements reshape global connectivity
Cullen International's Quarterly Regulatory Update on IoT and M2M Services (Q3 2026) highlights how national regulators around the globe are shaping the future of IoT and M2M services.
21 October 26
Americas countries require satellite service providers to obtain a spectrum licence
Cullen International’s latest benchmark compares satellite regulation across the Americas, including service and spectrum licensing, registration requirements, spectrum allocations and fees, interference rules, migration between frequency bands and recent regulatory developments.
21 October 26
Around the world, many regulators examined communications apps through distinct lenses, but their interventions did not always lead to any enforcement
Cullen International's latest Global Trends benchmark for communications apps regulation shows how telecoms, consumer protection, data protection and competition regulators intervene in the number-independent communications apps sector. The benchmark addresses regulation apps such as WhatsApp, WeChat and iMessage across 13 jurisdictions around the world.