Trade associations & other interactions

PLEASE NOTE

Trade and professional associations may be used as a front for anticompetitive practices and lead to sanctions by Competition Authorities.

As such, you must be very careful when attending these meetings and comply with competition law.

DO

✓ — Obtain prior internal approval before joining a trade association and ensure that there is a code of conduct in place for its members

✓ — Obtain and review the agenda in advance of any trade association meeting

✓ — Obtain and review a copy of the meeting minutes following the event

✓ — Discuss permitted topics at trade association meetings, such as information in the public domain, historical information, new technical standards, innovation techniques and other topics concerning legislative or regulatory projects

✓ — Record any gap between the agenda and the content of the meeting, in writing, and leave a meeting if sensitive Information is exchanged

✓ — If the association shares statistical information, ensure that such information is broad, aggregated, historical and does not allow the individual companies to be identified

DON’T

✗ — Discuss and share sensitive information

✗ — Attend “side-meetings” that take place before or after the meeting and discuss sensitive information (coffee breaks, lunches, break out discussions conversations)