The IAAF has announced it is working in conjunction with FIGIEFA to give input to the EU Commission’s review of the Block Exemption Regulation (BER) (EU) No 461/2010, which is now underway in Brussels.

The Block Exemption Regulation expires on 31 May 2023 and according to Article 7, the Commission has to draw up an evaluation report on its operation by the end of May 2021. In view of this the Commission has published an Evaluation Roadmap, outlining the process of a consultation, review and possible revision of the Regulation and corresponding guidelines in the coming years.

On the 19 February 2019, the Commission announced its plan to gather facts and evidence on the functioning of BER. The criteria to be used in the review process include the regulation’s effectiveness, efficiency, relevance and coherence as well as its EU added value.

With this intention the Commission has launched a six-step process that will trigger the consultation, taking into account stakeholders’ feedback and a commissioned study before its findings will be summarised in a report and made available to stakeholders by the second quarter of 2021. A decision on next steps will then follow.

IAAF chief executive, Wendy Williamson, said, “This is not yet the start of the formal consultation on BER, but a consultation on the Roadmap for the actual consultation which will commence in 2020. IAAF is working in conjunction with FIGIEFA to input to the Commission at this early stage of the process and if our members have any comments or queries, we’re urging them to contact us. We will of course be keeping everyone updated over the coming months on the progress of this key piece of legislation.”

The existing EU block exemption rules play a key role in allowing open competition in the automotive aftermarket and in helping to ensure that the independent sector is not unduly restricted by vehicle manufacturer warranty practices.