1 / 11

Fachgruppentag DAJV 2014 ARIM Fachgruppe

Fachgruppentag DAJV 2014 ARIM Fachgruppe. Parity Clauses between Hotels and Online Portals - The HRS Test Case in Germany-. Christa Pfeil-Kammerer. Agenda 1. How did the case start off? 2. Why only HRS in 2010? 3. Scope and enforcement of parity clauses 4. Market definition

brone
Download Presentation

Fachgruppentag DAJV 2014 ARIM Fachgruppe

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Fachgruppentag DAJV 2014ARIM Fachgruppe Parity Clauses between Hotels and Online Portals - The HRS Test Case in Germany- Christa Pfeil-Kammerer Bundeskartellamt

  2. Agenda 1. Howdidthecasestart off? 2. Whyonly HRS in 2010? 3. Scopeandenforcementofparityclauses 4. Market definition 5. Theoryofharm 6. Legal assessment: Art. 101 (1) TFEU andquestionofvertical block exemption 7. ConditionsforwithdrawingthebenefitsoftheVertical Block Exemption Regulation 8. State ofplay Bundeskartellamt

  3. The HRS Test Case in Germany 1. Howdidthecasestart off? _____________________________________________________ • In 2010, HRS extendedthealreadyexistingparityobligationsandthesanctions in caseof non-complianceandatthe same time HRS raisedthecommissionforbookingsfrom 13% to 15%. • Initially a singlehotelcomplainedaboutthesechanges, in thecourseof time othersjoined. • In 2011 a civillawsuit was filedby a newcomerplatformagainsttheparityclauses - in 2012 thisledto an interiminjunctionbythecourtobliging HRS tosuspendtheparityclausesforthedurationoftheproceedings. • HRS accepted a similar (informal) commitmentvis à visthe Bundeskartellamt forthedurationofthecase. Bundeskartellamt

  4. The HRS Test Case in Germany 2. Whyonly HRS in 2010? ______________________________________________________ • Attheoutsetofthecase HRS was byfarthestrongest online portal in Germany. • Even though all large portals (HRS, Booking, Expedia) haveparityclauseshotelsmainlycomplainedabout HRS since HRS veryactivelyenforcedtheseclauses. • As otherportalshavegainedstrongermarketpositions HRS is still theportalresponsibleforthelargestnumberof online bookingsforhotelrooms in Germany. • Dependencyofhotelsis still strong becauseoftheoverallmarketpositionandthe HRS strategytoofferservicestofirmsneedinghotelroomsfortheirbusinesstravels. Bundeskartellamt

  5. The HRS Test Case in Germany 3. Scope and enforcement of parity clauses_____________________________________________________ Scope • Price parity • Parity on conditions for booking and cancellation • Parity on room availability • Parity on all distribution channels including the hotel reception desk Enforcement • „Crawler“ for searching the internet for hotel price differences. • Hotels receive e-mails with lists on price differences to the detriment of the online portal using parity clauses and hotels are advised to eliminate price differences. • Insistent telephone calls by hotel portal employees lead to hotels renouncing their price policy. • Contract terminations by hotel portals without any reasons being given. Bundeskartellamt

  6. The HRS Test Case in Germany 4. Market definition Product Market • Hotel portalscombiningthefunctionalitiesofsearching, comparingandbookingofhotelrooms in onehand. Geografic Market no larger than national: • National presencenecessary in order toattractlocal/regional hotelsandtomaintainbusinessrelationships. • Portals investstronlgly in national advertising. • Cooperationwithnationally well-knownmarketingpartners in thetravelindustry. • Byfarthelargestgroupofcustomersbookinghotelrooms in Germany are German residents. Bundeskartellamt

  7. The HRS Test Case in Germany 5. Theoryofharm ____________________________________________ • Parityclauses hinder competitionamonghotelportalsforlowerroompricesto end customersandforlowercommissionstohotels. • Theyimpedemarketentryofnewportalsofferingsimilaror innovative services (such as last minuteoffers via smartphone) ashotelscannot pass on lowercommisssionstoconsumers. • Due tofailingflexibilityofhotelsparityclauses also reducecompetitionamonghotels. Bundeskartellamt

  8. The HRS Test Case in Germany 6. Legal assessment – Art. 101 (1) TFEU _________________________________________________ • Competitionlawisapplicabletocontractsbetweenportalsandhotelsbecausehotels do not instructportalsandportalstaketheirownmarketdecisions. Nevertheless, HRS is an agent, not a reseller. • Ourview: Parityclausesarerestrictionsbyobjectwithinthemeaningof Art. 101 (1) TFEU. Bytheirverynaturetheyhavethe potential ofrestrictingcompetition. However, wedid not decide on thisissueandshowedtheeffects. • Ourview: TakingtheVertical Block Exemption Regulation (VBER) literally, parityclausesare not a hardcorerestrictionwithinthemeaningof Art. 4 a) VBER. However, themarketeffectsoftheseclausesareverymuchcomparable. Wedid not decide on thisissuethoughandshowedtheeffects. Bundeskartellamt

  9. The HRS Test Case in Germany (2013) 6. Legal assessment – questionofvertical block exemption • Market Shares havetobecalculated on thebasisofmarketsalesdata. • Art. 3 (1) VBER: HRS exceededthe 30% („safeharbour“)-threshold in 2011. • As wewere still waitingfordatafor 2012, wechoose a twofoldapproach: • Individual exemptionassessment in case HRS continuedtoexceed 30% in 2012. • Withdrawalofthebenefitsofthe Block Exemption Regulation in case HRS fellbeneath 30% in 2012. Bundeskartellamt

  10. The HRS Test Case in Germany 7. ConditionsforwithdrawingthebenefitsoftheVertical Block Exemption Regulation • Ifthe German Cartel Office intendedtowithdrawthebenefitsofthe Block Exemptionfor HRS itwouldhavetoshowthefollowing: • The affectedmarketisno larger than national in scope (Art. 29 [2] Reg 1/03). • Helpful (see Art. 6 VBER): Parityclauses form partof a networkofsimilarverticalrestraints [HRS, Bookingand Expedia which all haveparityclauses in hotelcontracts cover about 90% ofthe German hotelportalmarket]. • The exemptionconditions in Art. 101 (3) TFEU are not fulfilledfor HRS individually. Bundeskartellamt

  11. The HRS Test Case in Germany 8. State ofplay ______________________________________________________ • Final decision HRS Dec. 20, 2013 - declaringthattheparityclauses [„bestpriceclauses“] are not compatiblewith Art. 101 TFEU (andthe relevant national law), - requesting HRS todeletethebestpriceclauses in contractsbetween HRS andhotels in Germany asof 1st March 2014, - prohibitingthefurtherapplicationofthebestpriceclausesby HRS. Since HRS exceededthe 30% VBER-threshold („safeharbour“) in 2012 wedid not withdrawthebenefitsoftheVertical Block Exemption Regulation. • HRS: Appeal tothe Court of Appeal in Düsseldorf on January 17, 2014. Start ofproceedingsagainstBookingand Expedia Dec. 19, 2013 Bundeskartellamt

More Related