The Resurrection of the Comfort Letter: Back to the Future?

Abstract

Pandemic-induced economic shocks saw the European Commission and national competition authorities adopt so-called comfort letters to provide guidance, assurance, and legal certainty to undertakings in order to help mitigate the detrimental effects of the crisis. Whereas it is true that desperate times may call for desperate measures, the fact that the Commission continues to issue comfort letters for initiatives with little relevance to the ongoing emergency raises questions. This article analyzes the re-emergence of comfort letters from the viewpoints of legal basis and certainty. It finds that the foundations upon which the letters are constructed are shaky, which translates into the fostering of uncertainty. In that regard, explored are alternatives for Union enforcers to deploy a robust bespoke guidance regime for the future.