1. Introduction

Urgent antitrust intervention in Morocco refers to the immediate legal and regulatory measures taken to prevent, suspend, or remedy conduct that threatens competition in a market before serious or irreversible competitive harm occurs.

Such intervention is particularly important where dominant undertakings, competing businesses, distributors, digital platforms, or public and private entities engage in practices that may:

Eliminate competitors through exclusionary conduct.

Create artificial shortages or manipulate market supply.

Impose discriminatory prices or trading conditions.

Restrict access to essential infrastructure or distribution channels.

Coordinate prices, tenders, production, or market allocation.

Abuse a dominant position to exclude smaller competitors.

Cause irreversible harm to consumers and market entry.

Morocco's competition framework is principally governed by Law No. 104-12 on Freedom of Prices and Competition, as amended, and Law No. 20-13 relating to the Competition Council, as amended.

The central enforcement institution is the Moroccan Competition Council (Conseil de la concurrence).

Urgent intervention must balance two objectives: protecting competition quickly and ensuring procedural fairness for the undertakings concerned.

2. Legal framework governing urgent intervention

A. Law No. 104-12 – Freedom of Prices and Competition

This legislation establishes the substantive rules governing competitive conduct.

Its principal areas of relevance include:

Prohibition of anticompetitive agreements and concerted practices.

Prohibition of abuse of a dominant position.

Regulation of economic concentrations.

Investigation and enforcement of restrictive commercial practices affecting competition.

Measures addressing conduct capable of seriously damaging market competition.

B. Law No. 20-13 – Competition Council

This legislation establishes the institutional framework and powers of the Competition Council.

The Council exercises functions relating to:

Investigation and assessment of anticompetitive conduct.

Review of competition complaints.

Issuing opinions within its statutory jurisdiction.

Imposing sanctions where the legal requirements are satisfied.

Taking interim measures in legally appropriate circumstances.

Monitoring economic concentrations.

C. Interim measures and urgency

Interim intervention is particularly relevant where the alleged conduct creates a serious and immediate threat to competition.

The Council's interim-measure jurisdiction is not intended to determine every substantive issue conclusively at the preliminary stage. Instead, it protects the competitive process while the main investigation continues.

The authority should establish the relevant statutory conditions, including the seriousness and immediacy of the threatened harm, and respect the applicable procedural safeguards.

3. Conditions for urgent antitrust intervention

Article 35 of Law No. 104-12 is particularly important.

The Competition Council may order interim protective measures when the following conditions are established.

1. Existence of an alleged anticompetitive practice

There must be an identifiable practice potentially restricting competition, such as:

Price-fixing.

Market-sharing agreements.

Refusal to supply.

Predatory pricing.

Discriminatory treatment.

Exclusive dealing.

Abuse of economic dependence.

2. Serious harm

The alleged conduct must cause or threaten serious harm to at least one of the interests recognised by Article 35:

The national economy.

The relevant economic sector.

Consumer interests.

The complaining undertaking.

3. Immediate harm

The harm must be sufficiently imminent to justify intervention before the ordinary investigation is completed.

A remote possibility of future harm will not ordinarily justify emergency relief.

4. Necessity and proportionality

The requested measure must be limited to what is necessary to address the emergency.

For example, suspending a discriminatory exclusivity clause may be more appropriate than prohibiting every commercial activity of the undertaking.

5. Procedural fairness

The parties concerned and the Government Commissioner must be heard before an interim measure is ordered under Article 35.

4. Types of urgent antitrust measures in Morocco

Article 35 expressly provides for suspension and restoration of the previous position. Other measures must be justified by the Council's applicable statutory powers and cannot automatically be assumed to fall within Article 35.

5. Procedure for urgent antitrust intervention

Filing of a complaint

An undertaking, qualifying administrative authority, or other eligible applicant submits a complaint identifying the suspected infringement.

Application for interim measures

The applicant submits a reasoned request explaining the serious and immediate harm and the proposed protective measure.

Preliminary assessment

The Council examines the alleged infringement, the competitive situation, the evidence of urgency, and the potential consequences of inaction.

Hearing of interested parties

The affected undertakings and Government Commissioner are heard in accordance with Article 35.

Interim decision

The Council may order appropriate protective measures, including suspension of the challenged practice or restoration of the previous position.

Notification and implementation

The decision is notified to the relevant parties through the prescribed procedures.

Main investigation and final determination

The Council continues examining the substantive infringement and may issue final orders or impose financial sanctions where legally justified.

6. Important statutory provisions

Article 35 is the central provision for emergency competition protection. Articles 38–40 provide additional enforcement mechanisms when applicable statutory orders, measures, or commitments are not respected.

7. Important case laws and enforcement precedents

An important qualification is necessary: Morocco has a relatively limited body of publicly reported judicial decisions specifically concerning interim antitrust measures. The following six authorities therefore include Moroccan enforcement precedents and comparative European judgments that help explain the legal principles applicable to urgent intervention. Comparative decisions are persuasive analytical references, not binding Moroccan judgments.

Case 1: Maroc Telecom – ANRT Decision ANRT/CG No. 01/2020 (17 January 2020)

Moroccan enforcement precedent

Facts:
Maroc Telecom was accused of abusing its dominant position by obstructing effective implementation of local-loop unbundling and restricting competitors' access to telecommunications infrastructure.

Decision:
The National Telecommunications Regulatory Agency (ANRT) imposed a financial penalty of MAD 3.3 billion and ordered corrective measures.

Legal principles:

Dominant undertakings must not obstruct competitors' access to essential infrastructure.

Refusal or obstruction of access can constitute exclusionary conduct.

Regulatory intervention must address barriers to effective competition.

Relevance to urgent intervention:
This case demonstrates why rapid intervention may be necessary where infrastructure restrictions prevent competitors from entering or expanding in a market.

Case 2: Wana Corporate v. Maroc Telecom – Casablanca Commercial Court of Appeal, Decision No. 3680 (3 July 2024)

Moroccan judicial precedent

Facts:
Wana Corporate, operating under the Inwi brand, pursued compensation arising from Maroc Telecom's alleged abuse of its dominant position.

Decision:
The Casablanca Commercial Court of Appeal upheld the significance of the regulatory infringement finding in establishing civil fault and addressed the assessment of resulting damages.

Legal principles:

Competition infringements may generate civil liability.

Regulatory findings can provide important evidence in damages proceedings.

Victims may seek compensation for proven economic losses.

Relevance:
Urgent antitrust intervention can prevent continuing harm, while civil litigation can subsequently address losses already suffered.

Case 3: Médi Telecom – Maroc Telecom colocation dispute (2004)

Moroccan sectoral enforcement precedent

Facts:
Médi Telecom complained that Maroc Telecom refused to provide physical colocation at a requested network site, relying on insufficient space or technical impossibility.

Regulatory approach:
The ANRT recognised the importance of colocation for effective interconnection and required alternative arrangements, including virtual interconnection, where physical colocation was not feasible.

Legal principles:

Essential infrastructure should not be withheld without adequate justification.

Technical impossibility must be distinguished from strategic exclusion.

Alternative access arrangements may preserve competition.

Relevance:
This precedent illustrates the importance of immediate access-related remedies when competitors risk being excluded from network infrastructure.

Case 4: Médi Telecom – Discriminatory fixed-to-mobile discount dispute (2001)

Moroccan historical enforcement precedent

Facts:
Maroc Telecom introduced a 10% discount for calls from its fixed network to Maroc Telecom mobile customers. Médi Telecom challenged the discriminatory competitive effect.

Regulatory outcome:
The ANRT considered the preferential discount discriminatory in the circumstances and found it abusive, following which Maroc Telecom suspended the discount.

Legal principles:

A dominant undertaking must avoid discriminatory commercial practices.

Preferential pricing may disadvantage competing networks.

Commercial discounts must be examined for their exclusionary effects.

Relevance:
Where discriminatory pricing threatens to eliminate competitors, intervention may be required before the competitive structure is irreversibly damaged.

Case 5: Deutsche Telekom AG v Commission, Case C-280/08 P (2010)

Comparative European precedent

Facts:
Deutsche Telekom was accused of imposing wholesale access charges that, when compared with its retail prices, created a margin squeeze affecting competitors.

Decision:
The Court of Justice of the European Union upheld the finding of abuse of dominant position.

Legal principles:

A dominant undertaking may abuse its position through margin squeezing.

Wholesale and retail pricing must be assessed together.

Regulatory supervision does not automatically excuse anticompetitive conduct.

Relevance to Morocco:
The reasoning is particularly useful in telecommunications, digital infrastructure, wholesale distribution, and network-access disputes.

Case 6: TeliaSonera Sverige AB, Case C-52/09 (2011)

Comparative European precedent

Facts:
TeliaSonera was accused of using wholesale and retail pricing arrangements that made it difficult for competing service providers to operate profitably.

Decision:
The Court of Justice examined margin squeezing as an independent form of abuse of dominance.

Legal principles:

Margin squeezing may constitute abuse even without a conventional refusal to supply.

The effects on equally efficient competitors are relevant.

Competition authorities must consider the structure of the market and the economic consequences of pricing practices.

Relevance to Morocco:
The judgment provides a useful analytical framework for urgent intervention against exclusionary wholesale and retail pricing practices.

8. Sector-specific applications of urgent antitrust intervention in Morocco

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A. Telecommunications

Intervention may be necessary against discriminatory interconnection charges, refusal of network access, margin squeezing, and infrastructure foreclosure.

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B. Petroleum and energy

Authorities may investigate suspected price coordination, supply restrictions, discriminatory distribution arrangements, and market allocation.

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C. Retail and distribution

Urgent measures may address exclusionary exclusivity agreements, discriminatory supply conditions, and restrictions on competing distributors.

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D. Ports and logistics

Intervention may be justified where discriminatory access to essential port facilities or logistics infrastructure threatens competing operators.

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E. Digital markets and AI

Potential concerns include platform self-preferencing, discriminatory API access, algorithmic price coordination, data foreclosure, and exclusionary platform contracts.

9. Hypothetical example: urgent intervention against a dominant digital platform

Consider a hypothetical Moroccan digital marketplace controlling a substantial share of online retail transactions.

The platform introduces a contractual requirement preventing independent sellers from offering products through competing marketplaces.

It also reduces the visibility of sellers who refuse to accept the restriction.

Potential competition concerns:

Abuse of dominant position.

Exclusionary contractual arrangements.

Restriction of competing marketplace access.

Consumer choice limitations.

Artificial barriers to market entry.

Possible urgent response:

The affected sellers may submit a reasoned complaint and request interim measures under Article 35.

If the statutory conditions are established, the Competition Council could consider suspending the restrictive contractual practice and requiring restoration of the previous competitive position.

The main investigation would then determine whether the platform actually infringed competition law.

10. Challenges in implementing urgent antitrust intervention

11. Recommendations for strengthening Morocco's urgent antitrust framework

Morocco could further strengthen effective emergency enforcement through:

Rapid-response investigation mechanisms: Prioritise complaints involving imminent market foreclosure.

Digital evidence preservation: Improve the collection of algorithmic pricing, transaction, and platform-access records.

Essential-facility protection: Strengthen monitoring of discriminatory access to critical infrastructure.

Economic impact assessments: Measure consumer harm, competitor exclusion, and barriers to entry.

Inter-agency coordination: Improve cooperation between the Competition Council, ANRT, and other sectoral regulators.

Proportionate interim remedies: Prefer targeted temporary measures over unnecessarily broad restrictions.

Compliance monitoring: Monitor implementation of interim and final orders.

Judicial accountability: Maintain effective review mechanisms and procedural safeguards.

12. Conclusion

Urgent antitrust intervention is an essential instrument for preserving competitive market structures in Morocco. Law No. 104-12, particularly Article 35, provides a legal mechanism for addressing serious and immediate competitive harm through interim protective measures.

The Moroccan telecommunications precedents involving Maroc Telecom and Médi Telecom illustrate the importance of protecting infrastructure access, preventing discriminatory treatment, and maintaining opportunities for effective market entry.

Comparative European jurisprudence further demonstrates the importance of addressing margin squeezing, exclusionary pricing, and abuse of dominance.

Ultimately, urgent intervention should not become an instrument for punishing businesses before the investigation is completed. Its principal purpose is to preserve competition, protect consumers, prevent irreversible economic harm, and maintain a fair market environment.

13. Key legal authorities for examination

Important academic distinction: The six authorities discussed above are not six Moroccan judgments on emergency interim relief. The first four are Moroccan regulatory or judicial precedents, while the final two are European judgments used comparatively. This distinction is important when preparing a legally accurate research paper or examination answer.