BOOK IV: Free pricing and competition.

The rapporteur general or a deputy rapporteur general may, on his or her own initiative or at the request of the parties or the Government Commissioner, combine the investigation of several cases. At the end of their investigation, the Competition Authority may issue a joint decision. The general rapporteur or a deputy general rapporteur may also split the investigation of a referral into several cases.

In application of article L. 450-6, the General Rapporteur entrusts the investigation of a case to one or more rapporteurs appointed by him. In the course of the investigation, he may change this appointment and assign the case to a new rapporteur. .

Where the rapporteur deems it useful, for the investigation of the referrals referred to in Article L. 462-5 and requests for precautionary measures under article L. 464-1 for which it is responsible, and in particular in urgent cases, to ask the Directorate General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Control to disclose information already in its possession, its request shall be forwarded by the General Rapporteur, in accordance with the…

Minutes are taken of the hearings conducted by the rapporteur and signed by the persons heard. If they refuse to sign, this is noted by the rapporteur. The persons heard may be assisted by counsel.

Where it considers that the investigation is incomplete, the Competition Authority may decide to refer the case back for investigation in whole or in part. This decision is not subject to appeal.

For the application of article L. 464-1 and the first and second paragraphs of article L. 462-8, the general rapporteur may set deadlines for the production of statements, supporting documents or observations and for their consultation by the interested parties or by the Government Commissioner.

The General Rapporteur shall communicate to the administrative authorities listed in Annex 4-6 to this Book any referral relating to sectors falling within their area of competence. These administrative authorities shall have a period of two months in which to submit any observations, which may be reduced by the General Rapporteur if the urgency so requires. These observations are attached to the file.

The rapporteur general may, at any time during the proceedings, ask the accused undertakings to provide the rapporteur within two months with their unique identification number and the turnover figures needed to calculate the ceiling of any penalty, in accordance with the provisions of I of Article L. 464-2. The letter of transmission mentions that this information is communicated by the General Rapporteur to the Government Commissioner.