Netherlands: Announced Guidelines on Price Arrangements of Self-Employed Workers

On 7 February 2023, the Consumer and Market Authority (CMA) adopted the Guidelines on price arrangements between self-employed workers, providing clarity on the collective negotiations. In particular, in its Guidelines, the CMA stated that self-employed workers are able to negotiate collectively without violating the Dutch Competition Act. To fall outside the scope of cartel prohibition, self-employed workers must satisfy at least one of three factors. They need to either work through a platform, work side-by-side with employees, or be financially dependent on the client.