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While skimming through employees’ chat conversations and e-mails, it is not uncommon for competition authorities to stumble across other potential antitrust violations, separate from the initial scope of the search.

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.

Recent enforcement action shows that companies involved in data sharing and data pooling or sustainability cooperation need to tread carefully.

On 9 July 2021, the Commission published its draft revised Vertical Block Exemption Regulation (VBER) and the accompanying Vertical Guidelines.

In deze annotatie becommentarieert Astrid Helstone vier uitspraken die ieder betrekking hebben op geschillen met de Stichting Bedrijfstakpensioenfonds voor Vlees, Vleeswaren, Gemaksvoeding en Pluimveevlees (VLEP). 

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.

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.

On 22 March 2022, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) offered companies investigated for the same conduct by several authorities clarity on the core principles of the application of the non bis in idem (double jeopardy) protection.

On 7 March 2022, the Act implementing the ECN+ Directive into Belgian law was published in the Belgian Official Gazette. The Act entered into force on 17 March 2022.

Although the right to equal pay of women and men has long been included in anti-discrimination law, there is still a difference in pay between women and men. That is why this subject is high on the agenda of the legislator.

Het kabinet heeft aangekondigd dat de NOW-subsidieregeling na maart 2022 niet wordt verlengd omdat de coronamaatregelen vrijwel allemaal zijn opgeheven.

De Europese Commissie heeft op 23 februari 2022 de Europese dataverordening (“Data Act”) voorgesteld, die het delen van data beoogt te bevorderen. Steeds meer gegevens worden door mensen en machines gegenereerd, bewaard en hergebruikt.

Hoewel het recht op gelijke beloning op grond van geslacht al langere tijd is verankerd in anti-discriminatiewetgeving, blijft er een verschil in beloning bestaan tussen vrouwen en mannen. Dit onderwerp staat daarom hoog op de agenda van de wetgever.

More antitrust clarity has arrived for companies involved in sustainability collaborations. The EC published draft revised rules on horizontal cooperation agreements and the ACM informally approved two green initiatives in the energy sector.

Only months after suspending an investigation into a possible wage-fixing cartel, the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) has warned employers, employers’ organisations, and trade associations to not engage in no-poach agreements. 

Pharma companies beware: discount schemes by former patent owners raise red flags at competition authorities.

Nothing is more fickle than information exchange: it changes colour under EU competition rules depending on the nature of the relationship between the exchanging companies.