我國聯合行為規範現況之結構反省與革新：事前許可制、積極分流與事後查處制

Structural Reflection and Reform on the Regulatory Status Quo of Horizontal Agreements in Taiwan: Prior Approval, Positive Differentiation, and Ex Post Regulation

我國公平法自1992年施行以來，對於聯合行為一直採取事前許可制，但是無論在申請許可案件或是違法案件查處方面，至今執法成效都甚為有限，目前國內聯合行為執法實務所發生的諸多問題，也與事前許可制具有密切關連。然而公平會對於單純未申請許可案件鮮少查處，而國際間對於核心卡特爾及有益同業合作，自本世紀以來已經明顯採取積極分流之執法方向。本文認為無論基於此種國際規範趨勢，或是執法機關囿於事前許可制過於嚴格而無法落實執行，或是基於有益聯合行為辨識度不如想像之高，不適合一律要求必須事前申請許可等各種原因，我國對於聯合行為之規範管制模式，實應儘速修法改採事後查處制，以解決當前制度結構與產業實況脫節所造成的嚴重問題，避免斲傷法律尊嚴。

Taiwan Fair Trade Act requires participants in horizontal agreements secure ex ante authorization from the Fair Trade Commission (TFTC) since the law came into force in 1992. The performance of that regulation to date has been quite limited in terms of the sheer amount of cases, competition analysis, and the reasoning of punishment decisions. The current problematics of the enforcement practices are in fact closely related to the ex ante regulation as such. TFTC has rarely investigated cases involving procedural violation of the prior approval system, which further undermines the same system. From the outset of this century, however, it has been the international trend to distinguish between hardcore cartels and beneficial competitor collaborations and treat them differently. Furthermore, benign horizontal agreements are not so easy to identify as generally considered, and actually spread out in varied kinds of economic activities. In light of all those findings, it would be advisable for Taiwan to repeal the prior approval system, and change into ex post regulation on horizontal agreements.