Mission and duties
ACM is an independent regulator. We safeguard fair competition, protect consumer interests, and regulate specific sectors, such as energy, telecommunications, transport, and postal services. In this way, we make sure markets work well. We are an independent regulator, and we carry out statutory duties on behalf of the Dutch central government.
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Our mission and duties
We are committed to ensuring that markets work well for all people and businesses, now and in the future. When markets function well, businesses compete fairly with one another, and people and businesses are not harmed by unfair practices. People and businesses know what rules apply, and how they are able to exercise their rights.
ACM ensures that markets work well by:
- Investigating markets and possible problems that occur there;
- Informing businesses and consumers about the rules and their rights;
- Preventing harmful practices of businesses, and taking action against them;
- Regulating the markets for energy, telecommunications, transport, and postal services in order to safeguard the affordability, quality, continuity, and accessibility of those markets;
- Giving the Dutch legislature recommendations about changing the laws and rules if that will result in markets working better.
Our oversight encompasses the following:
- Safeguarding fair competition
- Protecting consumers
- Regulating specific sectors, such as energy, telecommunications, transport, and postal services
If you think that a business is not complying with the rules, please file a report with ACM. Any information can help us end violations.
Safeguarding fair competition
We safeguard fair competition. Fair competition between businesses promotes innovation, improves quality, and lowers prices. It prevents businesses from becoming too powerful, as a result of which consumers as well as other businesses are protected.
If large businesses or organizations wish to merge, they need to notify us thereof. We will then assess the effects on competition. If the drawbacks are too great, we will attach conditions to the merger or we block it altogether.
We take action if businesses do not compete fairly, for example, if they have made illegal agreements about prices, clients, or markets.
We pay special attention to collaborations between health-care providers. We encourage collaborations that improve health-care quality and affordability.
Consumer protection
We protect consumer rights, and take action against businesses that violate these rights. We are committed to ensuring that consumers know their rights and exercise those rights when needed. That is why we provide free information to consumers through our consumer information portal ACM ConsuWijzer. We inform consumers about what their rights are and how they can exercise those rights, for example, using our sample letters.
Consumers can also report violations or problems to ACM ConsuWijzer. In that way, we know what is happening in markets. If a particular business is the subject of many reports that are filed, we will examine what is needed to make that business change its practices as quickly as possible. If we establish a violation, we can also use legal tools, such as fines or periodic penalty payments. We can also warn consumers against certain businesses through ACM ConsuWijzer.
Sector-specific regulation
In several sectors, we impose additional rules in order to make markets work well. This is because this does not happen automatically. We ensure that these markets work well by imposing additional rules and enforcing compliance therewith. These sectors are:
With these rules, we also wish to safeguard the affordability, quality, and availability of products and services, and promote innovation in these sectors. We take action against suppliers that fail to comply with the rules.
Created from three regulators
ACM was created on April 1, 2013, when three regulators, the Netherlands Competition Authority (NMa), the Netherlands Independent Post and Telecommunications Authority (OPTA), and the Netherlands Consumer Authority, joined forces. The goal of this merger was to streamline and improve market oversight in the Netherlands.
Our duties and powers have been laid down in rules and regulations.