Undertakings operating in Norway are obliged to comply with two sets of competition legislation; The Norwegian Competition Act and the competition rules applicable to undertakings of the EEA Agreement.

Norwegian Competition Legislation
The Competition Act entered into force on 1 May 2004. The purpose of the Act is to further competition and thereby contribute to the efficient utilization of society’s resources. When applying the Act, special consideration shall be given to the interests of consumers.

The Act is partly harmonized with EU competition rules and includes prohibitions against cartels and abuse of dominance. A pre-merger notification system is introduced. The criterion for prohibiting concentrations of the Competition Act of 1993 (“the creation or strengthening of a significant restriction of competition”) is carried on in the Competition Act of 2004. Companies that cooperate in discovering cartels may have their fines reduced.

Some amendments in the Competition Act of 2004 entered into force on 1 January 2005. Some further amendments entered into force on 1 July 2008.

Further information ICN Anti-Cartel Enforcement Template >> (pdf)