2. What practices are prohibited?

2.1 The texts

The Code de commerce prohibits four categories of anti-competitive practices:

• cartels, i.e. concerted actions, agreements, express or tacit understandings or coalitions intended to limit market access or the free exercise of competition by other companies; to prevent the free market from setting prices by artificially favoring their rise or fall; to limit or control production, outlets, investments or technical progress; to share markets or sources of supply (article L. 420-1);

• abuse of a dominant position, defined as the improper exploitation by an...