Under EU competition rules, Commission Regulation (EU) No. 316/2014 (the Technology Transfer Block Exemption Regulation) (TTBER) and its Guidelines play a key role for the assessment of technology transfer agreements, i.e. agreements between undertakings by which one party authorises another to use certain industrial property rights (e.g. patents, design rights, software copyrights and know-how) for the production of goods or services.
In particular, the TTBER empowers the European Commission to assess whether these agreements restrict and have negative effects on competition, or whether they contribute to improving the production and distribution of goods or services and promoting technical or economic progress, while allowing consumers a fair share of the resulting benefits.
In view of the TTBER’s expiry on 30 April 2026, Spark, together with LE Europe, Ramboll, and the EUI, will be assisting the European Commission (DG COMP) the evaluation of the Regulation and its Guidelines with the aim of assessing and identifying whether there are aspects that merit an update.
The study findings will complement the comprehensive public consultation and evaluation work conducted by DG Competition itself. Stay tuned for more!
