
1 

(1) This Order may be cited as the Restrictive Trade Practices (Non-notifiable Agreements) (EC Block Exemptions) Order 1996.
(2) This Order shall come into force on 19th March 1996 and shall apply to agreements made on or after that date.
2 
In this Order—
 “the Act” means the Restrictive Trade Practices Act 1976;
 “block exemption regulation” means an EC Council Regulation or an EC Commission Regulation (whether adopted before or after the coming into force of this Order) which declares the prohibition contained in Article 85.1 of the EC Treaty inapplicable to a category or categories of agreements decisions and concerted practices.
3 
An agreement is of a description specified for the purposes of section 27A of the Act (which defines non-notifiable agreements) if—
(a) it is an agreement which is exempt from Article 85.1 of the EC Treaty by virtue of the application to it of a block exemption regulation; or
(b) it is an agreement which does not fall within the prohibition contained in Article 85.1 of the EC Treaty but which, if it did so fall, would be exempt from that provision by virtue of the application to it of a block exemption regulation.
John Taylor
Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Competition and Consumer Affairs,
Department of Trade and Industry
19th February 1996