100 results French supermarket dawn raids down the drain On 9 March 2023, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that the European Commission should properly record interviews if they are used to gather information regarding the subject matter of the investigation. 2022: the big reveal of 2021’s competition law promises 2021 was riddled with sneak previews of a “review of competition policy tools with unprecedented scope and ambition”. Europese Commissie herziet en verruimt een belangrijk staatssteunkader: consultatie wijzigingen AGVV geopend tot 8 december 2021 De Europese Commissie zet in op meer staatssteun voor innovatieve ondernemingen en duurzaamheid. Dit blijkt uit de voorgestelde wijziging van de Algemene groepsvrijstellingsverordening waarover tot 8 december a.s. een consultatie loopt. Highest Dutch Court: ACM has not proved dominance of Dutch railway operator NS A high market share is not always proof of a dominant position. The Trade and Industry Appeals Tribunal (CBb) upheld the annulment of the ACM’s fine of nearly EUR 41 million on Dutch railway operator NS for alleged abuse of dominance. Slovak Telekom: ECJ on essentials of the ‘essential facilities’ doctrine Only dominant companies with a “genuinely tight grip” on the market can be forced to grant rivals access to their infrastructure. ACM issues first excessive pricing fine in pharma On 1 July 2021, the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) imposed a fine of EUR 19.5 million on drug manufacturer Leadiant for excessive pricing of their orphan drug CDCA-Leadiant. Game on for gatekeepers: Digital Markets Act finalised Now that political agreement has been reached on the final text, the Digital Markets Act (DMA) will enter into force soon. The DMA’s ex ante rules and obligations will apply next to the ad hoc EU and national competition rules. ACM jumps on gun-jumping bandwagon Companies involved in multi-step acquisitions should beware of potential gun-jumping risks. The ACM has fined a trade association for failing to notify the acquisition of four pharmacies involving a consecutive partial resale. Soeradj Ramsanjhal Senior Associate Amsterdam Google Shopping: self-preferencing can be abusive The European Court of Justice has confirmed that Google abused its dominance by favouring its own shopping comparison service and demoting competing ones. However, not all favouritism is doomed. Stibbe Amsterdam appoints three new partners We are pleased to announce that Stibbe Amsterdam has promoted Roos Elemans, Lotte Hover-Boon and Daisy Nijkamp to partner effective 1 January 2025. These appointments will further strengthen our EU and Competition Law, Tax and Litigation practices. Tom Verdonk co-edited ‘Unfair Trading Practices in the Agricultural and Food Supply Chain’ Tom Verdonk has co-edited the book ‘Unfair Trading Practices in the Agricultural and Food Supply Chain’, recently published by Larcier-Intersentia. If you can’t stand the heat: kitchen retailers fined for misleading consumers There is a new enforcement trend in the Netherlands; consumer protection is shifting from private enforcement before the civil courts, to public enforcement through the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM). Waiting for the EC: third-party platform bans and RPM still on radar The results of the European Commission’s evaluation of the Vertical Block Exemption Regulation (VBER) call for more clarity and convergence in the interpretation of certain (online) vertical restrictions. The next 5 years: European Commission launches New Consumer Agenda Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the European Commission is already looking ahead to set its consumer protection priorities for the next five years. On the right track? GC sends mixed messages with Lithuanian Railways The essential facilities doctrine imposes on holders of indispensable facilities a duty to deal with their competitors. Jurisdictional hide & seek: merger thresholds and buyer joint ventures Companies beware: the turnover of a joint venture buying a target is not necessarily decisive for determining whether the EU merger thresholds are met. COVID-19 impacts level and payment of antitrust fines As well as granting companies leeway on certain COVID-19 initiated collaborations (see our May 2020 newsletter), the coronavirus outbreak has also led competition authorities to take a more lenient stance towards fine calculations and payments. Pagination Current page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Next page
French supermarket dawn raids down the drain On 9 March 2023, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that the European Commission should properly record interviews if they are used to gather information regarding the subject matter of the investigation.
2022: the big reveal of 2021’s competition law promises 2021 was riddled with sneak previews of a “review of competition policy tools with unprecedented scope and ambition”.
Europese Commissie herziet en verruimt een belangrijk staatssteunkader: consultatie wijzigingen AGVV geopend tot 8 december 2021 De Europese Commissie zet in op meer staatssteun voor innovatieve ondernemingen en duurzaamheid. Dit blijkt uit de voorgestelde wijziging van de Algemene groepsvrijstellingsverordening waarover tot 8 december a.s. een consultatie loopt.
Highest Dutch Court: ACM has not proved dominance of Dutch railway operator NS A high market share is not always proof of a dominant position. The Trade and Industry Appeals Tribunal (CBb) upheld the annulment of the ACM’s fine of nearly EUR 41 million on Dutch railway operator NS for alleged abuse of dominance.
Slovak Telekom: ECJ on essentials of the ‘essential facilities’ doctrine Only dominant companies with a “genuinely tight grip” on the market can be forced to grant rivals access to their infrastructure.
ACM issues first excessive pricing fine in pharma On 1 July 2021, the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) imposed a fine of EUR 19.5 million on drug manufacturer Leadiant for excessive pricing of their orphan drug CDCA-Leadiant.
Game on for gatekeepers: Digital Markets Act finalised Now that political agreement has been reached on the final text, the Digital Markets Act (DMA) will enter into force soon. The DMA’s ex ante rules and obligations will apply next to the ad hoc EU and national competition rules.
ACM jumps on gun-jumping bandwagon Companies involved in multi-step acquisitions should beware of potential gun-jumping risks. The ACM has fined a trade association for failing to notify the acquisition of four pharmacies involving a consecutive partial resale.
Google Shopping: self-preferencing can be abusive The European Court of Justice has confirmed that Google abused its dominance by favouring its own shopping comparison service and demoting competing ones. However, not all favouritism is doomed.
Stibbe Amsterdam appoints three new partners We are pleased to announce that Stibbe Amsterdam has promoted Roos Elemans, Lotte Hover-Boon and Daisy Nijkamp to partner effective 1 January 2025. These appointments will further strengthen our EU and Competition Law, Tax and Litigation practices.
Tom Verdonk co-edited ‘Unfair Trading Practices in the Agricultural and Food Supply Chain’ Tom Verdonk has co-edited the book ‘Unfair Trading Practices in the Agricultural and Food Supply Chain’, recently published by Larcier-Intersentia.
If you can’t stand the heat: kitchen retailers fined for misleading consumers There is a new enforcement trend in the Netherlands; consumer protection is shifting from private enforcement before the civil courts, to public enforcement through the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM).
Waiting for the EC: third-party platform bans and RPM still on radar The results of the European Commission’s evaluation of the Vertical Block Exemption Regulation (VBER) call for more clarity and convergence in the interpretation of certain (online) vertical restrictions.
The next 5 years: European Commission launches New Consumer Agenda Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the European Commission is already looking ahead to set its consumer protection priorities for the next five years.
On the right track? GC sends mixed messages with Lithuanian Railways The essential facilities doctrine imposes on holders of indispensable facilities a duty to deal with their competitors.
Jurisdictional hide & seek: merger thresholds and buyer joint ventures Companies beware: the turnover of a joint venture buying a target is not necessarily decisive for determining whether the EU merger thresholds are met.
COVID-19 impacts level and payment of antitrust fines As well as granting companies leeway on certain COVID-19 initiated collaborations (see our May 2020 newsletter), the coronavirus outbreak has also led competition authorities to take a more lenient stance towards fine calculations and payments.