Switzerland

Hacisalihzade, Suzan

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-17550-4_11

Suzan Hacisalihzade⁵

Part of the book series: LIDC Contributions on Antitrust Law, Intellectual Property and Unfair Competition ((LIDC))

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Abstract

The following chapter shall provide an overview of the sanction regime for breaches of competition law in Switzerland. For this purpose, the available de lege lata sanctions will be outlined, the goals of competition law sanctions will be shown, the determination and calculation of competition law sanctions will be explained, the means of enforcement will be portrayed, the attribution of liability to a parent company or an association will be discussed, the parliamentary discussions about introducing direct sanctions against individuals will be outlined and the requirements for indirect financial liability of an employee or a director will be shown.

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Notes

1.
An unofficial translation of the CartA is available under the following link: https://www.admin.ch/opc/en/classified-compilation/19950278/index.html. Accessed 28 October 2018.
2.
An unofficial translation of the CASO is available under the following link: https://www.admin.ch/opc/en/classified-compilation/20040326/index.html. Accessed 28 October 2018.
3.
For further details regarding the calculation of a fine cf. Sect. 11.1.3 below.
4.
An unofficial translation of the SCC is available under the following link: https://www.admin.ch/opc/en/classified-compilation/19370083/index.html. Accessed 28 October 2018.
5.
Message of the Federal Council on the Amendment of the Cartel Act of 7 November 2001, Official Gazette 2002 2022 et seq, 2034.
6.
For example Law and Policy of Competition, LPC (Recht und Politik des Wettbewerbs (RPW)) 2017/1 p. 96 et seq. – Eflare, para. 60 et seq.
7.
Decision of the Swiss Federal Supreme Court of 29 June 2012 (BGE 139 I 72, respectively BGer 2C_484/2010, para. 12.2.1).
8.
An unofficial translation of the CO is available under the following link: https://www.admin.ch/opc/en/classified-compilation/19110009/index.html. Accessed 28 October 2018.
9.
Message of the Federal Council on the Amendment of the Cartel Act of 7 November 2001, Official Gazette 2002 2022 et seq, 2033 and 2052.
10.
The CA’s Commentary on the CASO, dated 1 January 2006, p. 4.
11.
Regarding procedural obstacles in connection with claims for damages in respect to competition law breaches cf. Sect. 11.1.4 below.
12.
LPC 2012/4, p. 820 et seq. – Vertrieb von Musik, para. 189.
13.
Parliamentary Motion of R. Schweizer, no. 07.3856 of 20 December 2007; Parliamentary Initiative of H. Kaufmann, no. 08.443 of 13 June 2008.
14.
Parliamentary Initiative of D. De Buman, no. 16.473 of 30 September 2016; (the parliamentary initiative was withdrawn as of 27 October 2017).
15.
Decision of the Federal Administrative Court of 16 September 2016 (B-581/2012), para. 8.2.3; Statement of the Federal Council in respect to the Parliamentary Motion R. Schweiger (07.3856), A more balanced and effective system of sanctions for Swiss competition law, 20 December 2007.
16.
D. Jositsch and M. Conte, Strafbestimmungen im Bundesgesetz gegen unlauteren Wettbewerb, sic 2017, pp. 437–446, p. 440.
17.
Decision of the Swiss Federal Supreme Court of 29 June 2012 (BGE 139 I 72, respectively BGer 2C_484/2010, whose para. 3 include the relevant considerations on this subject).
18.
Decision of the Swiss Federal Administrative Court of 27 April 2010 (B-2977/2007), para.4.1; LPC 2013/4, 524 et seq. – Wettbewerbsabreden im Strassen- und Tiefbau im Kanton Zürich, para. 85; LPC 2015/2, p. 246 et seq. – Türprodukte, para. 267 and 270.
19.
LPC 2015/2,p. 246 et seq. – Türprodukte, para. 270.
20.
LPC 2010/1 p. 120 et seq. – Preispolitik Swisscom ADSL, para. 27.
21.
Decision of the Swiss Federal Administrative Court of 25 June 2018 (807/2012), para. 11.4.4.
22.
LPC 2013/4 p. 524 et seq. – Wettbewerbsabreden im Strassen- und Tiefbau im Kanton Zürich, para. 87.
23.
LPC 2012/2 p. 270 et seq. – Verfügung vom 16. Dezember 2011 in Sachen Wettbewerbsabreden im Strassen- und Tiefbau im Kanton Aargau, para. 895 et seq; LPC 2015/2 p. 246 et seq. – Türprodukte, para. 269.
24.
LPC 2013/4 p. 524 et seq. – Wettbewerbsabreden im Strassen- und Tiefbau im Kanton Zürich, para. 87; LPC 2015/2 p. 246 et seq. – Türprodukte, para. 268.
25.
W 2015/2 p. 246 et seq. – Türprodukte, para. 269; LPC 2012/2 p. 270 et seq. – Verfügung vom 16. Dezember 2011 in Sachen Wettbewerbsabreden im Strassen- und Tiefbau im Kanton Aargau, para. 896.
26.
Decision of the Swiss Federal Administrative Court of 25 June 2018 (807/2012), para. 11.4.1.
27.
Decision of the Swiss Federal Administrative Court of 27 April 2010 (B-2977/2007) para. C. 4.3.
28.
Decision of the Swiss Federal Administrative Court of 27 April 2010 (B-2977/2007) para. C. 4.3 and 4.5.
29.
LPC 2012/4, 820 et seq. – Vertrieb von Musik, para. 45 et seq., 174 et seq.; M. Amstutz and M. Reinert, Basel Commentary on the CartA, Helbing Lichtenhahn Verlag 2010, para. 99 to art. 49a KG.
30.
LPC 2011/4, p. 529 et seq. – ASCOPA; LPC 2013/2, p. 142 et seq. – Verfügung vom 10. Dezember 2012 in Sachen Abrede im Speditionsbereich.
31.
LPC 2018/1, p. 78 et seq. – Verzinkung, p. 120.
32.
Official Bulletin of the Swiss Federal Parliament, AB 2002 Para. 1458 et seq.
33.
For a comprehensive overview of the revision of the CartA in 2003 please refer to F. Bremer, Strafsanktionen gegen natürliche Personen im schweizerischen Kartellrecht, Stämpfli Verlag 2015, p. 220 et seq.
34.
An overview of the parliamentary debates can be found in the Official Bulletin of the Swiss Federal Parliament AB 2002 para. 1458 et seq.
35.
Parliamentary Motion R. Schweiger (07.3856), A more balanced and effective system of sanctions for Swiss competition law, 20 December 2007.
36.
Parliamentary Initiative by H. Kaufmann (08.443), Preventing existential threats which result from competition law fines, 13 June 2008.
37.
Parliamentary Motion by D. De Buman (10.3302), For real competition and lower prices, 19 March 2010.
38.
Statement of the Federal Council in respect to the Parliamentary Motion R. Schweiger (07.3856), A more balanced and effective system of sanctions for Swiss competition law, 20 December 2007.
39.
Protocol of the Commission for Economic Affairs and Taxation of 5/6 October 2009.
40.
B. Althaus, Die Sanktionen des Kartellgesetzes im Wandel der Zeit. In: Canapa/Landolt/Müller (ed), Sein und Schein von Gesetzgebung, Dike Verlag 2018, pp. 221–241.
41.
According to art. 754 CO.
42.
RPW 2015/3, 561 et seqq. - Sanktionsverfügung - Preispolitik Swisscom ADSL.
43.
RPW 2017/4, 689 et seqq. - BMW/WEKO.
44.
Sanitary wholesale; see press release by COMCO of 3 July 2015 https://www.admin.ch/gov/de/start/dokumentation/medienmitteilungen.msg-id-58001.html. Accessed 31 October 2018.
45.
RPW 2016/4, 920 et seqq. - Sport im Pay-TV.
46.
EURIBOR cartel; see press release by COMCO of 21 December 2016 https://www.weko.admin.ch/weko/de/home/aktuell/medieninformationen/nsb-news.msg-id-65052.html. Accessed 31 October 2018.
47.
RPW 2015/3, 561 et seqq. - Sanktionsverfügung - Preispolitik Swisscom ADSL.
48.
RPW 2017/4, 689 et seqq. - BMW/WEKO.
49.
RPW 2016/4, 920 et seqq. - Sport im Pay-TV.
50.
LIBOR cartel; see press release of 21 December 2016 https://www.weko.admin.ch/weko/de/home/aktuell/medieninformationen/nsb-news.msg-id-65050.html. Accessed 31 October 2018.
51.
EURIBOR cartel; see press release of 21 December 2016 https://www.weko.admin.ch/weko/de/home/aktuell/medieninformationen/nsb-news.msg-id-65052.html. Accessed 31 October 2018.
52.
COMCO’s Annual Reports may be accessed under the following link: https://www.weko.admin.ch/weko/en/home/comco/annual-reports.html. Accessed 31 October 2018.
53.
Evaluation on the CartA (2009), p. XIX, https://www.weko.admin.ch/weko/de/home/dokumentation/evaluation-und-revision-des-kg/evaluation-des-kartellgesetzes.html. Accessed 31 October 2018.
54.
Evaluation on the CartA (2009), p. XX, https://www.weko.admin.ch/weko/de/home/dokumentation/evaluation-und-revision-des-kg/evaluation-des-kartellgesetzes.html. Accessed 31 October 2018.
55.
Evaluation on the CartA (2009), p. XX, https://www.weko.admin.ch/weko/de/home/dokumentation/evaluation-und-revision-des-kg/evaluation-des-kartellgesetzes.html. Accessed 31 October 2018.

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Lenz & Staehelin, Zurich, Switzerland
Suzan Hacisalihzade

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Suzan Hacisalihzade
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Këllezi Legal, Geneva, Switzerland
Pranvera Këllezi
Addleshaw Goddard LLP, London, UK
Bruce Kilpatrick
Kobel Avocat Attorney-at-law, Geneva, Switzerland
Pierre Kobel

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Hacisalihzade, S. (2019). Switzerland. In: Këllezi, P., Kilpatrick, B., Kobel, P. (eds) Liability for Antitrust Law Infringements & Protection of IP Rights in Distribution. LIDC Contributions on Antitrust Law, Intellectual Property and Unfair Competition. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-17550-4_11

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-17550-4_11
Published: 06 July 2019
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-17549-8
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-17550-4
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