The European Commission has opened a formal investigation to assess whether SAP may have distorted competition in the aftermarket for maintenance and support services related to an on-premises type of software, licensed by SAP, used for the management of companies business operations and called Enterprise Resource Planning (‘ERP), in the European Economic Area (‘EEA). In parallel to the opening of proceedings, the Commission has adopted a Preliminary Assessment summarising the main facts of the case and identifying its competition concerns. To address the Commissions concerns, SAP may now submit commitments.

SAP is a German-based multinational corporation which develops software applications for companies to manage their business operations. This includes ERP software, which supports business functions such as managing corporate finances, human resources and project management. SAPs ERP software can be provided on-premises - when the software runs on the customers own servers - or via the cloud - when it is hosted on SAPs servers and delivered over the internet. SAP also provides maintenance and support services for its ERP software, which include regular updates and technical assistance for its business customers to keep the software operational. Other companies also provide maintenance and support services for SAPs on-premises ERP software, in competition with SAP, often against better commercial conditions, such as price.

The Commissions preliminary investigation takes issue with the following four practices implemented by SAP in the EEA aftermarket for the maintenance and support services of SAPs on-premises ERP software, on which the Commission preliminary considers that SAP holds a dominant position:

  • SAP requires customers to (i) seek maintenance and support services from SAP for all their SAP on-premises ERP software, and (ii) choose the same type of maintenance and support under the same pricing conditions for all their SAP on-premises ERP software. This may prevent customers from “mixing and matching” maintenance and support services from different suppliers at different price and support levels despite it being more convenient for them;
  • SAP prevents customers from terminating maintenance and support services for unused software licences, which may result in SAPs customers paying for unwanted services;
  •  SAP systematically extends the duration of the initial term of on-premises ERP licences, during which termination of maintenance and support services is not possible;
  • SAP charges reinstatement and back-maintenance fees to customers who subscribe to SAPs maintenance and support after a period of absence. In some cases, these fees correspond to the amount customers would have paid if they had stayed with SAP all along.

The Commission is concerned that SAP may have restricted competition from third-party providers of maintenance and support services of SAPs on-premises ERP software in the EEA. The Commission is also concerned that the practices implemented by SAP constitute exploitative conduct vis-à-vis SAPs customers that may be qualified as unfair trading conditions.

The Commission will now carry out its in-depth investigation as a matter of priority. The opening of a formal investigation does not prejudge its outcome.

Achtergrond

Artikel 102 van het Verdrag betreffende de werking van de Europese Unie verbiedt de misbruik van een dominante positie die de handel binnen de EU kan beïnvloeden en de concurrentie kan voorkomen of beperken. De uitvoering van deze bepaling is gedefinieerd in Verordening 1/2003.

Een Voorlopige Beoordeling vat de belangrijkste feiten van de zaak samen en identificeert de concurrentiezorgen van de Commissie. Om aan deze zorgen te voldoen, kan de geadresseerde van de Voorlopige Beoordeling verplichtingen aanbieden in overeenstemming met Artikel 9(1) van Verordening 1/2003, die de Commissie in staat stelt om antitrustprocedures af te sluiten door verplichtingen van een bedrijf te aanvaarden. Een dergelijke beslissing trekt geen conclusie over de vraag of er sprake is van een inbreuk op de EU-antitrustregels, maar bindt het bedrijf juridisch aan de gerespecteerde verplichtingen.

Artikel 11(6) van Verordening 1/2003 bepaalt dat de opening van procedures door de Commissie de mededingingsautoriteiten van de lidstaten ontslaat van hun bevoegdheid om de EU-mededingingsregels toe te passen op de betrokken praktijken. Artikel 16(1) bepaalt verder dat nationale rechtbanken moeten vermijden beslissingen te nemen die in strijd zouden zijn met een beslissing die door de Commissie in procedures die zij heeft geïnitieerd in overweging is genomen.

Er is geen wettelijke deadline voor het beëindigen van een antitrustonderzoek. De duur van een antitrustonderzoek hangt af van verschillende factoren, waaronder de complexiteit van de zaak, de mate waarin de betrokken bedrijven met de Commissie samenwerken en de uitoefening van de verdedigingsrechten door de partijen.

Meer informatie over het onderzoek zal beschikbaar zijn op de website van de mededinging, in het openbare caseregister onder het zaaknummer AT.40823.