Competition Law – COVID-19 Update

by Nicolas Birkhäuser, Thomas Frick

The Corona crisis has led to changes in regulations and practice of the authorities in various areas. This newsletter outlines the most relevant consequences in competition law, with a focus on Cooperation, Excessive Pricing, Time Limits, State Aid, and Compliance.

The Swiss Competition Commission announced on 26 March 2020 that the special situation due to the Corona crisis did not justify competition law infringements. In particular, the economic situation must not be abused to form cartels and to fix prices. If the government and authorities order measures to combat the Corona crisis that restrict competition, competition law is not applicable. Apart from such cases, however, private undertakings must comply with competition law.