41 At European and At the national level A STRONG COMMITMENT international levels In France, the various regulators have FROM THE AUTORITÉ The Green Deal for Europe "aims to trans- also launched a joint initiative and have form the EU into a fair and prosperous mobilised themselves. Eight inde- One of the Autorité’s priorities society with a modern,resource-efficient pendent administrative or public autho- A major concern for public opinion and and competitive economy" with the ambi- rities (the sector regulators for financial consumers in particular, sustainable tion to be the first climate-neutral conti- markets (AMF), telecoms (Arcep), broad- development is increasingly at the heart nent by 2050. While competition policy casting (CSA), ground transportation of corporate strategy. This growing pro- is not the front line in the fight against (ART), data privacy (CNIL), energy (CRE), minence is reflected in the practice of climate change and environmental pro- copyright (Hadopi), and the Autorité de competition law. Sustainable develop- tection, it can still make a difference. By la concurrence, kicked off the reflections ment is now one of the priorities of the helping to obtain efficient and competi- at the end of 2019 to compare their Autorité, which is stepping up its efforts tive results on the markets, competition approaches to the climate challenges. In to detect the most harmful anticompeti- policy makes it possible to encourage a joint document published in May 2020 tive practices in this area, and has set up behaviour that is favourable to sustai- and entitled "The Paris Agreement and a specialised working group within the nable development, thereby supporting the climate emergency: regulatory investigation services, responsible for green policies (European Commission challenges", the regulators committed to conducting in-depth reflections on the priorities 2019-2024). taking the climate emergency into account subject. in the definition and exercise of their At the European level, the Autorité is contri- remits, and identified the available levers Different practices under buting to the debate on the Green Deal and for action (Press release,5 May 2020). surveillance the various discussions on the revision of This joint group intends to pursue their Finally, sustainable development can the Vertical Block Exemption Regulation discussions on the avenues for collabo- sometimes be used by companies as a and on certain categories of research and ration identified, such as better unders- reason or pretext for anticompetitive development and specialisation agree- tanding and analysis of climate data behaviour. This includes behaviour which, ments. It is also participating in the dis- provided by stakeholders under the under the guise of commitments to envi- cussions of the International Competition supervision of various authorities, the ronmental or sustainable development Network (ICN). In these various bodies, the design of educational tools, and stren- objectives, serves to create and conceal Autorité contributes to the work aimed at gthening the expertise of their staff. a cartel or abuse by implementing banned clarifying the legal framework applicable practices, such as price fixing, limiting to virtuous behaviour in terms of sustai- production, market sharing or the exclu- nable development. sion of existing or potential competitors. … REINVENTING OUR MEANS OF ACTION