monitoring the level of effective market opening and competition at wholesale and retail levels, including on electricity exchanges, household prices, switching rates, adequate prepayment conditions reflecting actual consumption, connection and disconnection rates, maintenance charges and household complaints in an agreed format, as well as any distortion or restriction of competition in cooperation with competition authorities, including providing any relevant information, bringing any relevant cases to the attention of the relevant competition authorities;

In so far as competition restrictions are imposed within Member States, administrative enforcement of EC competition rules in the professions should be mainly the task of national competition authorities, although the Commission will continue to carry out casework where appropriate.

As stated in the Guidelines on the application of Article 101(3) TFEU (ex-Article 81(3) TEC), hardcore restrictions are restrictions of competition by object, which by their very nature have such a high potential of restricting competition that it is unnecessary for the purposes of applying Article 101(1) TFEU to demonstrate any actual or likely effects on the market.

(b) "Non-compete obligation" means any direct or indirect obligation causing the buyer not to manufacture, purchase, sell or resell goods or services which compete with the contract goods or services, or any direct or indirect obligation on the buyer to purchase from the supplier or from another undertaking designated by the supplier more than 30 % of the buyer's total purchases of the contract goods or services and their substitutes on the relevant market, calculated on the basis of the value of its purchases in the preceding calendar year.

(b) "Non-compete obligation" means any direct or indirect obligation causing the buyer not to manufacture, purchase, sell or resell goods or services which compete with the contract goods or services, or any direct or indirect obligation on the buyer to purchase from the supplier or from another undertaking designated by the supplier more than 50 % of the buyer's total purchases of the contract goods or services and their substitutes on the relevant market, calculated on the basis of the value of its purchases in the preceding calendar year.

(b) "Non-compete obligation" means any direct or indirect obligation causing the buyer not to manufacture, purchase, sell or resell goods or services which compete with the contract goods or services, or any direct or indirect obligation on the buyer to purchase from the supplier or from another undertaking designated by the supplier more than 50 % of the buyer's total purchases of the contract goods or services and their substitutes on the relevant market, calculated on the basis of the value of its purchases in the preceding calendar year.