Triangular meeting

Triangular meeting

In addition to bilateral meetings between DG Competition and each individual party such as the State of Play meetings, the Commission may exceptionally decide to invite the parties subject to the proceedings, and possibly also the complainant and/or third parties, to a so-called “triangular” meeting. 1 Such a meeting will be organised if DG Competition believes it to be in the interests of the investigation to hear the views on, or to verify the accuracy of, factual issues of all the parties in a single meeting. Such a meeting could be useful to the investigation, for example, where two or more opposing views or information have been put forward as to key data or evidence.

More about Triangular meeting

Any triangular meeting would normally take place at the initiative of the Commission and on a voluntary basis. Triangular meetings are normally chaired by Senior management of DG Competition (Director or Deputy Director General). The Legal Service and the Hearing Officer will systematically be informed of and invited to triangular meetings.

More about the Subject

Where triangular meetings are held, this should be done as early as possible during the investigatory phase (after the opening of proceedings and before any issuing of Statement of Objections) in order to help the Commission reach a conclusion on substantive issues before the Commission decides whether to issue a Statement of Objections, although the holding of such meetings after the issue of the Statement of Objections in appropriate cases is not excluded. Triangular meetings should be prepared on the basis of an agenda established by the DG Competition after consulting all parties that agree to attend the meeting. The preparation of the meeting may include a mutual exchange of non-confidential submissions between the attending parties sufficiently in advance of the meeting.

Resources

See Also

References

• Information about Triangular meeting in the Antitrust Manual of Procedures for the application of Articles 101 and 102 TFEU (Internal DG Competition)

Notes

[Note 1] See Chap. 2.10 of the Notice on Antitrust Best Practices.

Further Reading

• Information about Triangular meeting in “An Introduction to EU Competition Law”, Moritz Lorenz (Cambridge University Press)