Decision of professional association as a form of restrictive agreement

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to confirm the assumption about causal connection between cumulation of certain standard authorization of professional associations and an increase in anticompetitional risk. The main point of research is the infringement of competition by restrictive agreements between associations in respect of price policy. Th rough the analysis of a domestic case, administrative-law and judicial practices were considered through vital material-law elements of this kind of behaviour of association, with an estimation of aspects of determination of its illegal character. Analyses of various segments of professional association authorization overstepping, starting from proposals for determination of price frame, resulted in determination of interlinks between restrictive behaviour and harmful consequences of the same in respect of existing and potential members, competitors, consumers and a society as a whole. In conclusion of analyses the author points out the importance of predictability of criteria with the aim of prevention of illegal restrictive agreements within professional associations, on the one hand, and adjusted practice of punishments, on the other hand, as a road towards further improvement of competition culture in this field. Starting from the assumptions: that membership in a professional association may appear as a condition precedent for carrying out of a certain business activity, as well as that association disposes with an authorization of punishment for non-acting of members in accordance with the association decisions, in the form of non-renewal or confiscation of a license - the author comes to the conclusion about significant interest potential and a market power of a professional association. While danger of creation of an anticompetitional risk with business commercial association is defined in subject, risk with professional associations is mostly profiled in a subjective sense, having in mind qualifications and professional interlinking of their members. Acting in domain of determination of infringement of competition due to restrictive behaviour within a professional association requires stronger level of attention and overhanging by acting of an associational body in order to qualify an agreement between members of an association as a non-allowed one. Having said this, the author considers subjects who carry out the same business activity, but conflict of interests is not immanent for them - the basic purpose of membership in an association is exchange of professional experience and adjusted acting with the aim of promotion and protection of their profession. Significant infringement of competition in the form of restrictive agreements, further in domain of competition protection, requires the creation of practice, which will minimize the possible cases of this kind of behaviour in the future.

Cilj ovog rada je potvrda pretpostavke o kauzalnoj vezi između kumulacije određenih standardnih ovlašćenja profesionalnih udruženja i porasta antikonkurencijskog rizika. Težište istraživanja je na narušavanju konkurencije restriktivnim dogovaranjem udruženja u pogledu cenovne politike. Kroz analizu slučaja iz domaće upravno-pravne i sudske prakse sagledani su bitni materijalno-pravni elementi ovakvog vida ponašanja udruženja i procesni aspekti utvrđivanja njegove protivpravnosti. Ispitivanje različitih segmenata prekoračenja ovlašćenja strukovnog udruženja, od davanja preporuka ka utvrđivanju cenovnog okvira, rezultiralo je utvrđivanjem korelacije restriktivnog ponašanja i štetnih posledica za postojeće i potencijalne članove, konkurente, potrošače i društvo u celini. U zaključnim razmatranjima se ukazuje na značaj predvidivosti kriterijuma u cilju preveniranja nedozvoljenih restriktivnih dogovora unutar profesionalnih udruženja, sa jedne, i usaglašene restriktivne prakse mera zaštite sa druge strane, kao puta ka daljem unapređenju kulture konkurencije u ovoj oblasti.