White Paper issued on damages actions for breach of the EC antitrust rules.

The article presents information on the issuance of the White Paper by Neelie Kroes, the European Commission's (EC) Commissioner for Competition law, on damages actions for breach of the EC's antitrust rules. Case law from the European Court of Justice has confirmed that the right to damages is guaranteed under Community law. The White Paper makes proposals with respect to both policy initiatives and specific measures to ensure that all victims of a breach of EC competition rules may access effective mechanisms for compensation. The Commission has stated that it wishes to avoid the excesses of U.S. litigation culture. The EC also proposes various measures to provide complainants with better access to evidence in damages actions.