54 results The impact of geopolitical developments on transactions: a tangled web of rules and hurdles Where is the line between openness and protectionism in the European single market? At both EU and national level, more and more protective barriers against foreign investors and acquirers have been created in the international competition. Developments in DMA land: EU tags Big Tech as first Gatekeepers The European Commission has designated six Tech Giants (Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, ByteDance, Meta and Microsoft) as gatekeepers for 22 core platform services under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). 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”. Consumentenbescherming tegen verborgen reclame: redactionele reclame omvat zowel reclame betaald met geld als met andere vermogensvoordelen Redactionele inhoud in de media waarvoor een onderneming heeft betaald om reclame te maken voor haar product, moet als dusdanig herkenbaar zijn voor de consument. Gun jumping: beware, the Commission will take action The Commission has imposed interim measures on Illumina and GRAIL. These measures include the obligation to run GRAIL by independent management. Back to the future – Commission publishes roadmap for green and digital challenges The Commission’s Communication “A competition policy fit for new challenges” (the “Communication”) identifies key areas in which competition law and policy can support European efforts in dealing with the challenges of the green and digital transitions. ECJ: private enforcement in aviation sector also a national court's game Recently, the ECJ ruled that national courts dealing with private enforcement cases are competent to apply EU competition law to historical behaviour in the aviation sector. Dominant firm may refuse to supply retailer after initial delivery The Brussels Court of Appeal has held that a dominant producer firm may have valid reasons to refuse further supplies to a retailer, despite its dominance and despite previous deliveries. Google Shopping: self-preferencing is a form of abuse of dominance On 10 November 2021, the General Court (GC) almost entirely dismissed Google’s action against the European Commission’s Google Shopping decision. Upward referral of killer acquisitions: enlightened or one-stop shop flop? Companies involved in M&A deals falling below the EU and national notification thresholds need to think twice about their deal’s potential impact on competition from now on. Abuse of economic dependence: lessons drawn from the first judgments On 22 August 2020, the ban on abuse of economic dependence was implemented in Belgium. Now that almost a year has passed and the first judgments have been rendered, we assess what first lessons can be drawn from these judgments. Cessation et transfert de nom de domaine imposés pour cause de cybersquatting et redirection de nom de domaine prêtant à confusion La Cour d'appel de Gand a ordonné la cessation de l'enregistrement illégal d'un nom de domaine qui visait à induire en erreur des clients potentiels et à les débaucher d'un concurrent en liant ce nom de domaine à un autre nom de domaine. Stakingsbevel en domeinnaamoverdracht opgelegd voor cybersquatting en doorlinken van verwarring scheppende domeinnaam Het Hof van beroep te Gent beval de staking van de wederrechtelijke registratie van een domeinnaam, die potentiële klanten beoogde te misleiden en af te werven van een concurrent door deze domeinnaam door te linken naar een andere domeinnaam. Foreign subsidies: another addition to the M&A checklist Checking for merger control notification obligations and Foreign Direct Investment screening mechanisms will be on the list for most companies involved in M&A deals. 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. Are your distribution contracts ready for the revised VBER? On 9 July 2021, the Commission published its draft revised Vertical Block Exemption Regulation (VBER) and the accompanying Vertical Guidelines. The new VBER is here! Time to update your distribution agreements The new Vertical Block Exemption Regulation (VBER) entered into force on 1 June 2022. The new VBER is stricter on dual distribution and across-platform retail parity obligations than the old one, but is more lenient towards active sales and online sales r ACM walks the walk: first-ever vertical price coordination fine The Dutch Competition Authority (“ACM”) has claimed a first victim in its vertical restraints battle. Samsung Electronics was fined nearly EUR 40 million for having meddled in the online resale prices for televisions at seven retailers. Pagination Current page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Next page
The impact of geopolitical developments on transactions: a tangled web of rules and hurdles Where is the line between openness and protectionism in the European single market? At both EU and national level, more and more protective barriers against foreign investors and acquirers have been created in the international competition.
Developments in DMA land: EU tags Big Tech as first Gatekeepers The European Commission has designated six Tech Giants (Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, ByteDance, Meta and Microsoft) as gatekeepers for 22 core platform services under the Digital Markets Act (DMA).
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”.
Consumentenbescherming tegen verborgen reclame: redactionele reclame omvat zowel reclame betaald met geld als met andere vermogensvoordelen Redactionele inhoud in de media waarvoor een onderneming heeft betaald om reclame te maken voor haar product, moet als dusdanig herkenbaar zijn voor de consument.
Gun jumping: beware, the Commission will take action The Commission has imposed interim measures on Illumina and GRAIL. These measures include the obligation to run GRAIL by independent management.
Back to the future – Commission publishes roadmap for green and digital challenges The Commission’s Communication “A competition policy fit for new challenges” (the “Communication”) identifies key areas in which competition law and policy can support European efforts in dealing with the challenges of the green and digital transitions.
ECJ: private enforcement in aviation sector also a national court's game Recently, the ECJ ruled that national courts dealing with private enforcement cases are competent to apply EU competition law to historical behaviour in the aviation sector.
Dominant firm may refuse to supply retailer after initial delivery The Brussels Court of Appeal has held that a dominant producer firm may have valid reasons to refuse further supplies to a retailer, despite its dominance and despite previous deliveries.
Google Shopping: self-preferencing is a form of abuse of dominance On 10 November 2021, the General Court (GC) almost entirely dismissed Google’s action against the European Commission’s Google Shopping decision.
Upward referral of killer acquisitions: enlightened or one-stop shop flop? Companies involved in M&A deals falling below the EU and national notification thresholds need to think twice about their deal’s potential impact on competition from now on.
Abuse of economic dependence: lessons drawn from the first judgments On 22 August 2020, the ban on abuse of economic dependence was implemented in Belgium. Now that almost a year has passed and the first judgments have been rendered, we assess what first lessons can be drawn from these judgments.
Cessation et transfert de nom de domaine imposés pour cause de cybersquatting et redirection de nom de domaine prêtant à confusion La Cour d'appel de Gand a ordonné la cessation de l'enregistrement illégal d'un nom de domaine qui visait à induire en erreur des clients potentiels et à les débaucher d'un concurrent en liant ce nom de domaine à un autre nom de domaine.
Stakingsbevel en domeinnaamoverdracht opgelegd voor cybersquatting en doorlinken van verwarring scheppende domeinnaam Het Hof van beroep te Gent beval de staking van de wederrechtelijke registratie van een domeinnaam, die potentiële klanten beoogde te misleiden en af te werven van een concurrent door deze domeinnaam door te linken naar een andere domeinnaam.
Foreign subsidies: another addition to the M&A checklist Checking for merger control notification obligations and Foreign Direct Investment screening mechanisms will be on the list for most companies involved in M&A deals.
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.
Are your distribution contracts ready for the revised VBER? On 9 July 2021, the Commission published its draft revised Vertical Block Exemption Regulation (VBER) and the accompanying Vertical Guidelines.
The new VBER is here! Time to update your distribution agreements The new Vertical Block Exemption Regulation (VBER) entered into force on 1 June 2022. The new VBER is stricter on dual distribution and across-platform retail parity obligations than the old one, but is more lenient towards active sales and online sales r
ACM walks the walk: first-ever vertical price coordination fine The Dutch Competition Authority (“ACM”) has claimed a first victim in its vertical restraints battle. Samsung Electronics was fined nearly EUR 40 million for having meddled in the online resale prices for televisions at seven retailers.