Competition: categories of agreements and concerted practices, art. 85(3) of the EC Treaty (amend. regul. 19/65/EEC)

PURPOSE : to extend the field of application of exemption by category with respect to vertical agreements (extension of the capacitation provided by Regulation 19/65/EEC). COMMUNITY MEASURE : Council Regulation 1215/1999/EC amending Regulation 19/65/EEC on the application of Article 81(3) of the Treaty to certain categories of agreements and concerned practices. CONTENT : the Council Regulation broadens the scope of capacitation provided for in Regulation 19/65/EEC in order to allow the Commission to cover by way of exemption by category, insofar as they fall within the scope of Article 81(1) of the EC Treaty: - all types of vertical agreements between two or more undertakings, each operating at different levels of the production or distribution chain, and which relate to the conditions under which relate to the conditions under which the parties may purchase, sell or resell certain goods or sevices; - categories of agreements to which only two undertakings are party and which include restrictions imposed in relation to the acquisition or the use of industrial property rights, in particular of patents, utility models, designs or trade marks or the rights arising out of contracts for assignment of, or the right to use, a method of manufacture or knowledge relating to the use or to the application of industrial processes. ENTRY INTO FORCE : 18/06/1999.�