EU prolongs flexibility on auto deals for distribution, repairs

BRUSSELS, April 17 (Reuters) – The European Commission has prolonged for five years rules giving the auto industry freer rein to conclude agreements with distributors, spare part retailers and repair garages, with a new emphasis on vehicle-generated data.

The EU executive said on Monday that the Motor Vehicle Block Exemption Regulation (MVBER) would be applicable until May 31, 2028. The regulation from 2010 was due to expire at end of May this year.

Under normal circumstances EU antitrust rules prohibit agreements between companies at different levels of the production or distribution chain that restrict competition.

However, the MVBER allows such agreements as long as they meet certain criteria – such as improving distribution, promoting technical progress, while sharing with consumers some of the resulting financial benefits.

The Commission also updated its guidance to the regulation, setting out that independent repairers should have access to data generated by vehicle sensors on an equal footing.

The existing rules included the provision of technical information, tools and training, but did not explicitly cover vehicle-generated data.