EU competition rules are crucial to the strengthening of the Union’s internal market. And direct effect has long been a structuring legal principle of the Union’s legal order, helping to ensure its autonomous nature. Thus,...more
The European Commission (EC) has published draft antitrust guidelines on exclusionary abuses (the Draft Guidelines) and is conducting a public consultation to gather feedback....more
The European Commission has published for public consultation its long-awaited draft Guidelines on exclusionary abuses (draft Guidelines). The draft Guidelines aim at making it faster and easier for the Commission to pursue...more
The Draft Guidelines set out the European Commission (EC)’s approach on exclusionary abuse by dominant undertakings. The EC is proposing a shift away from the effects-based approach set out in its earlier enforcement...more
In May 2024, the European Commission published a Competition Policy Brief classifying certain agreements related to labor markets as serious antitrust infringements. According to the Commission, so-called wage-fixing and...more
Antitrust and Competition - The European Commission Fines Apple EUR 1.8 billion for Abusing Its Dominant Position in the Music Streaming Sector - On 4 March 2024, the European Commission (Commission) fined Apple EUR 1.8...more
Advocate General Anthony Michael Collins has proposed that the European Court of Justice uphold the General Court's Altice judgment. In his Opinion, he considered that the entering into certain types of pre-closing covenants...more
ANTITRUST AND COMPETITION - The European Commission Releases the Article 102 TFEU Package to Ensure Greater Legal Certainty on Exclusionary Abuses of Dominance - Article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European...more
On March 16, in a preliminary ruling requested by the Paris Court of Appeal regarding Towercast’s appeal of the French Competition Authority’s decision in the TDF case, the Court of Justice of the European Union decided ...more
ANTITRUST AND COMPETITION - The European Commission Reviews Its Informal Guidance Notice - On 24 May 2022, the European Commission (Commission) launched a public consultation to gather feedback from interested parties on the...more
On 10 May 2022, the European Commission (the “Commission”) adopted the final version of the new Vertical Block Exemption Regulation (“VBER”), which will enter into force on 1 June 2022. The new VBER, which replaces Regulation...more
On 10 May 2022, the European Commission (EC) adopted the new Vertical Block Exemption Regulation (VBER), accompanied by the new Guidelines on Vertical Restraints (Vertical Guidelines). The new rules are the result of a...more
On May 10, 2022, the European Commission adopted the final text of the new Vertical Block Exemption Regulation (VBER) accompanied by the new Guidelines on Vertical Restraints (the VGL), which provide detail on interpretation...more
Following the European Commission’s decision on the trucks cartel matter (European Commission, Sept. 27, 2017, AT.39824) that fined Scania up to €880 million (USD 950M), the General Court of the European Union rejected...more
The European Commission (Commission) is accepting public comment on its proposed revisions to European Union regulations and guidance on common competitor cooperation arrangements, which are due to expire on 31 December 2022....more
On January 26, the General Court (GC) of the European Union issued a judgment on remand, annulling the €1.06 billion fine that the European Commission (EC) had imposed on Intel in 2009. Companies commonly use rebates to...more
“Green competition law”, one of the most important topics in contemporary competition policy, is starting to take more shape in the EU. On 10 September, following around 200 feedback contributions from stakeholders and an...more
The European Commission has invited interested parties to comment on the revised competition rules applicable to vertical arrangements under the Vertical Block Exemption Regulation and the Vertical Guidelines. It comes as no...more
On 9 July 2021, the European Commission (EC) published for public consultation a draft revised Vertical Block Exemption Regulation (VBER) and draft revised guidelines on vertical restraints (Vertical Guidelines). The EC has...more
The European Commission (EC) on May 4 announced the adoption of exceptional derogations from EU competition rules to allow certain types of cooperation in the following sectors: milk and milk products, potatoes, and live...more
The European Commission published its first comfort letter in nearly 20 years on April 29, in an effort to foster cooperation among businesses during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. ...more
The UK will no longer be a Member State of the European Union (the “EU”) as of 11 p.m. on 31 January 2020 (“Exit Day”). A ‘transition period’ will run from Exit Day until 11 p.m. on 31 December 2020 (the “Transition Period”)....more
A decade ago, the European Commission conducted a thorough sectoral inquiry into the European pharmaceutical sector that identified antitrust shortcomings impeding access to more affordable and innovative medicines and...more
CARTELS & RESTRICTIVE AGREEMENTS - CJEU’S EYE-OPENING RULING ON ANTITRUST COMPLIANCE AND OFF-LABEL MISINFORMATION – C 179/16, HOFFMAN-LA ROCHE AND OTHERS V AGCM, 23 JANUARY 2018 – On 23 January 2018, the CJEU...more
Is this perception well-founded? And does it represent a new policy trend towards ‘social justice’ objectives or simply a continuation of a policy driver that has underpinned EU competition enforcement for some time?...more