Complaint

Complaint in the European Union Law

Concept of Complaint provided by the “Glossary of terms used in EU competition policy” (Antitrust and control of concentrations, published in 2002): Request by a natural or legal person who claims a legitimate interest, asking the Commission to investigate an alleged infringe- ment of EU competition law and to bring it to an end. Formal complaints oblige the Commission to act (either to find that there is an infringement or to reject the complaint) and give the complainant certain procedural rights. These include the right to be heard and — in proceedings under () Regulation No 17 — access to the Commission's file (albeit limited compared with parties subject to an investigation). Informal complaints (where a complainant refuses disclosure of the information he provides) or anonymous complaints may lead the Commission to open a case, but confer no rights on the complainant.