Date of publication: 26 September 2019

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This report reviews the implementation and relevance of the former 1998 OECD Council Recommendation concerning Effective Action against Hard Core Cartels  [OECD/LEGAL/0294] and highlights recent developments since its adoption. It concludes that the fight against hard core cartels has been a priority of competition law enforcement, and that the 1998 Recommendation should be updated. As a result, on 2 July 2019, the OECD Council adopted a new recommendation [OECD/LEGAL/0452] that covers the most salient developments in cartel enforcement of the last 20 years, including amnesty/leniency programmes, proactive detection tools and investigation powers, settlements, effective fines and private enforcement actions.

Related materials 

• OECD International Cartels Database

• 2019 OECD Council Recommendation concerning Effective Action against Hard Core Cartels [OECD/LEGAL/0452]

• Best Practices for the Formal Exchange of Information Between Competition Authorities in Hard Core  Cartel Investigations (2005)

• Third Report on the Implementation of the 1998 Recommendation (2005)

• Hard Core Cartels: Recent Progress and Challenges Ahead (2003)

• Fighting Hard Core Cartels: Harm, effective sanctions and leniency programmes (2002)

•  (2000)

• More OECD work on cartels

• See all best practice roundtables on cartels