This Congress aims for creating the ideal platform so that the German franchised automobile dealers take a look at their situation and think about perspectives for the future and that the government as well as car manufacturers and importers are informed about the dealers’ requests, expectations and demands.

The Congress programme has top expert speakers, taking not only a closer look at the German car market but also beyond the borders of, for instance, the USA, Italy, Austria and, of course, Brussels, towards the EU Commission.

Prof. Dr. Christian Genzow, the German EDL member, will participate in the Panel Discussion: “Sales and Service after 2010 – Where are we heading to“, together with other experts and the European Commission representative.

For further information, please go to the Congress webpage.

In the photograph, from left to right, Dr. Christian Genzow (German EDL member) with Dr.Stephan Simon (European Commission) , Prof. Dr. Jürgen Creutzig (CECRA Chaiman), Dr. Alexander Martinowsky, Prof. Dr. Willi Diez, Hubert Nieswandt, Michael Thiede.

The Spanish Dealers Federation, FACONAUTO, is promoting a popular iniciative aiming that the Spanish Parliament approves a Distribution Contracts Law, which requires the support of at least 500,000 signatures of Spanish citizens.

On the 14th August 2008 – G.D.A. has submitted its comments on the Commission Evaluation Report. GDA considers that the distribution and repair of vehicles in Europe can be seriously damaged due to the position taken by the European Commission which does not favor consumers either.

G.D.A. believes that the Commission should seriously reconsider the provisional tracks presented in its report if it does not want to put the automotive distribution and repair branch into trouble both for the consumers and the thousands of SME active in Belgium and Europe.

On the 28th May 2008 the DG Competition (European Commission) published the Evaluation Report on the operation of the Block Exemption Regulation (EC) Nº 1400/2002 concerning motor vehicle distribution and servicing so long waited for by the Automobile Sector.

This article reveals the hope of the Opel-dealers to use hedge-fund-options hold by people with the economy know-how to save the potential of Opel onto the German market. Author: Prof. Dr. F. Christian Genzow.

The Commission has published a draft Regulation on the application of Article 101(3) of the Treaty to categories of vertical agreements and concerted practices (“Motor Vehicle Block Exemption Regulation”) and draft Supplementary guidelines on vertical restraints in the motor vehicle sector and has invited all the stakeholders to provide comments.