ACM calls for attention to commercial and public interests of the government

In the 2016 edition of its annual publication InSight (in Dutch: Signaal), the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) calls for attention to the delicate balancing act between commercial interests and public interests of the government. In an interview in Dutch daily newspaper Trouw, Chris Fonteijn, Chairman of the Board of ACM, named Dutch airline KLM, Amsterdam airport Schiphol, and Dutch Railways NS as examples.

ACM’s enforcement activities concerning Schiphol and KLM are part of an investigation that was launched in 2013. ACM did not receive any official complaints. At the time, the investigation was triggered in particular by a report of the Shared Vision commission. With regard to Dutch Railways NS, too, the question of how to balance commercial interests with the interests of riders is explored.

ACM examines situations such as those involving NS, Schiphol and KLM with great care. We hope we will be able to publish the results of these long-term investigations later this year. ACM never publishes any interim results of ongoing investigations.