Rome, January 5, 2011
President of the Senate Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies Chairman of the Board of Ministers Minister of Economic Development.
L’Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato, nell’esercizio del potere di cui all’articolo 21 della legge 10 ottobre 1990, n. 287, intende formulare alcune osservazioni in merito all’art. 3, comma 1, lettera f), della legge n. 248/2006 , laddove esso prevede, per quanto riguarda la distribuzione commerciale, l’eliminazione di qualsiasi autorizzazione preventiva e qualsiasi limitazione “ di ordine temporale o quantitativo allo svolgimento di vendite promozionali di prodotti, effettuate all’interno degli esercizi commerciali, tranne che nei periodi immediatamente precedenti i saldi di fine stagione per i medesimi prodotti ”.
L’Autorità, pur rilevando come, nel complesso, il processo di liberalizzazione e semplificazione amministrativa avviato dalla legge n. 248/06 in conformità al principio comunitario di libera concorrenza e di libera circolazione delle persone e dei servizi, abbia di fatto garantito agli utenti un’effettiva facoltà di scelta nell’esercizio dei propri diritti ed un livello minimo ed uniforme di condizioni di accessibilità all’acquisto di prodotti e servizi sul territorio nazionale, osserva che la sopra citata prescrizione appare ancora penalizzante sia per gli operatori del settore and consumers . The purpose of this provision seems to be the protection of the seasonal sales that, compared to simple promotional sales, for products having the characteristics of seasonal and / or compliance with the dictates of fashion of the moment and are aimed at avoiding a loss in commercial value of themselves, allowing the trader to use up the products that will become less marketable in the following year . The restriction, however, seems inappropriate for achieving the objective which it seeks, as the 'it follows that only effect is to restrict the freedom of traders define its business strategy fact, those who wish to implement a sales promotion is a balance that they are forced, by virtue of that provision, to select promotional items for sale, keeping them separate from those (necessarily different, as provided art. 3, paragraph 1, letter f)) for sale in the balance, achieved only in the periods established by regional laws. From the point of view of traders, the provision in question disproportionately compresses the freedom of economic initiative, with regard to consumers, it may lead to avoidance of harmful phenomena , and in particular strategies development which, in an attempt to look different and distinct compared to sales promotions (not to be caught under Article. 3, paragraph 1, letter f) of Law No 248/06), can create unjustified unequal treatment between consumers themselves. This can happen when some traders, also in agreement with associations, take initiatives to allow the sale of products at discounted prices at stores affiliated with these associations only to members, allegedly in order to encourage customers "loyal", rather than promote the purchase of certain products. For times and how these initiatives are implemented, it is clear that the intent is merely to circumvent the ban on sales of promotional products in the periods immediately preceding the end of season sales , more generally, may represent a form of circumvention of standard initiatives 'advance' of the goods balance paid by dealers in selected groups of customers . In fact, the negative consequences of such business decisions are borne by consumers and not enrolled in the affiliated associations or not recipients of offers of "pre" , which are not able to take advantage the same choice and the same favorable economic conditions offered to subscribers. The Authority recommends, therefore, a change in direction of the pro-competitive provision, so as to eliminate the restrictions it generates a load of traders and at the same , the above phenomena distort freedom of choice.
THE PRESIDENT Antonio Catricalà
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