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We take action when companies form cartels. That means that they have made agreements on prices or customers. In such cases, those companies have committed an offense, and can therefore be fined. They have the opportunity to file objections or appeals against such fines.
Companies can bigger and bigger through mergers and acquisitions. As a result, they become more dominant in the market. They might abuse their dominance, for example, by raising prices. That is prohibited. If they do, they may be fined.
Mergers, acquisitions, or joint ventures are called concentrations. Concentrations can affect competition. The new company can become so big, it leaves other companies with fewer opportunities. That is why there are rules on concentrations.
The energy industry is special. Energy suppliers compete with one another, yet network operators, which take care of energy transport, do not compete with one another. We enforce oversight on the suppliers, and stimulate competition as much as possible. We regulate the network operators. That way, consumers are given a fair energy price and quality.
Not all markets in the transport industry are free markets yet. This is the case with infrastructure network operators, public transport companies in the major cities in the Netherlands, the pilotage industry, and Amsterdam airport Schiphol. The NMa regulates all of these markets. We aim to promote competition as much as possible.
In carrying out our oversight duties, we work together with other regulatory bodies in the Netherlands, in the European Union, and around the world. Such cooperative arrangements teach us a lot about international markets and about oversight. And we are able to promote international competition.
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