The European Commission's Cartel Settlement Procedure: An Assessment after 15 Years.

This article analyzes the European Commission's cartel settlement procedure, introduced on 1 July 2008 to handle cartel cases more quickly and efficiently, reduce litigation before EU courts, and free resources for other enforcement activities. Comparing cartel cases concluded in the fifteen years after the procedure's introduction with those from the preceding ten years, the study finds that settlement and hybrid cases (combining settlement and standard procedures) have increased over time, representing 58% of cases from 2008 to 2023. While cases concluded entirely by settlement are on average slightly shorter than those under the standard procedure, the overall average duration of cartel proceedings has not decreased, partly because settlement cases tend to involve fewer parties and more leniency recipients. The procedure has led to significant resource savings for the Commission and EU courts and has substantially reduced litigation before the General Court and Court of Justice, but it has not resulted in an increased number of cartel cases handled by the Commission.