§3.3.1.1 Identity of available suppliers, market shares and prices

64. When customers in different geographic areas have access to the same actual and potential suppliers and when those suppliers have similar market shares in the different areas, this is usually a first indication that conditions of competition are sufficiently homogeneous to include those areas in the same relevant geographic market. Conversely, when the market shares of those suppliers vary substantially across different geographic areas, this usually indicates that conditions of competition in those areas are not sufficiently homogeneous. 65. A preliminary analysis of pricing and price differences can also provide useful evidence. Homogeneous conditions of competition across different areas can generally be expected to lead to similar price levels for the same products. Such similarity may also be the result of functioning arbitrage between different areas, that is to say the process by which higher prices in one area may lead arbitrageurs to buy in the low-priced area and resell in the high priced area until prices have converged sufficiently to make such arbitrage unprofitable. The Commission can also assess whether suppliers offer customers different conditions of supply based on the customer’s location, as that can have an effect on whether the market can be defined around the locations of the suppliers (89). 66. However, analyses of market shares and prices may not be decisive, in themselves, for geographic market definition (90). The Commission therefore usually explores the reasons behind any particular configuration of market shares or prices, and also assesses other indicators.

← 3.3.1 · All articles · 3.3.1.2 →

Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-09-07