NMa: Oversight and regulation may benefit from budget cut proposals

In 2009, the NMa imposed fines totaling EUR 5.3 million for violations of the Dutch Competition Act and of energy and transport regulations. Using its expanded fining powers, which came into effect in 2007 when the Competition Act was revised, the NMa, for the first time, was able to impose a higher fine for failure to notify of a merger on time. Another first was imposing a fine on a cartel facilitator. Though the number of fines has increased, the total amount of all fines is lower than that of 2008 (which was EUR 12 million).