18 results 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). 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. 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. 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. 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. Taking initiative: ACM catches transaction ahead of new powers M&A transactions falling below the merger notification thresholds are not necessarily exempt from scrutiny. Companies should therefore carefully assess the potential competitive impact of their transactions, as the ACM has proven to be vigilant. Happy first anniversary! One year of the Vifo Act: an update On the first of June, the Dutch national security investment screening regime (the Vifo Act) celebrated its first anniversary. Time to take stock of key findings and forthcoming developments. Digital antitrust conduct: too elusive to catch? The ink on the Digital Market Act has barely dried, but fast-evolving digital developments already have competition authorities calling for new tools. Is Big Tech not kept in check by the DMA, the antitrust rules and the EU Merger Regulation after all? De Europese Commissie, de Staat en de (inter)nationale rechter: een staatssteunrechtelijk 'Game of Thrones' of checks and balances? De staatssteunrechtelijke bevoegdhedenverdeling tussen de Europese Commissie, de Staat en de rechter houdt de gemoederen bezig. Een voorbeeld hiervan biedt de Micula rechtspraak over investeringsarbitrage. Deze blog bespreekt dergelijke zaken. Verticale prijsbinding: handhaving, boetes en schadeclaims We bespreken de wijze waarop bedrijven hun afnemers ongeoorloofd dwingen tot het rekenen van minimumprijzen en waarom dat niet mag. De ACM handhaaft streng en leveranciers kunnen rekenen op hoge boetes en schadeclaims van gedupeerde consumenten. Widening the net: The Dutch government proposes to broaden the scope of the Vifo Act The Vifo Act continues to evolve: Dutch government to extend the scope of the general Dutch FDI screening regime to cover six additional technologies. EU Compass: Boosting competitiveness as North Star Are ‘European champion’ companies walled off from unfair (foreign) competition the future? The European Commission recently presented its Competitiveness Compass to navigate the European Union to strengthened competitiveness. ACM study calls for regulation of Big Techs on payment market The ACM’s market study, published on 1 December 2020, provides an overview of recent and upcoming developments concerning the role of Big Tech companies in both online and offline payment markets in the Netherlands. HagaZiekenhuis beboet voor datalek Enkele maanden geleden vierden we de eerste verjaardag van de Algemene Verordening Gegevensbescherming (AVG) met een uitgebreide beschouwing over de belangrijkste ontwikkelingen uit het eerste jaar van de verordening. ACM launches probe into Apple's App Store The Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) has announced that it is opening an investigation into whether Apple abuses the position it has attained with its App Store. The investigation will initially focus on news apps. Stibbe advises Sonova Holding AG Stibbe has advised Sonova Holding AG on its acquisition of AudioNova B.V. from HAL Investments. The value of AudioNova is EUR 830 million.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
Taking initiative: ACM catches transaction ahead of new powers M&A transactions falling below the merger notification thresholds are not necessarily exempt from scrutiny. Companies should therefore carefully assess the potential competitive impact of their transactions, as the ACM has proven to be vigilant.
Happy first anniversary! One year of the Vifo Act: an update On the first of June, the Dutch national security investment screening regime (the Vifo Act) celebrated its first anniversary. Time to take stock of key findings and forthcoming developments.
Digital antitrust conduct: too elusive to catch? The ink on the Digital Market Act has barely dried, but fast-evolving digital developments already have competition authorities calling for new tools. Is Big Tech not kept in check by the DMA, the antitrust rules and the EU Merger Regulation after all?
De Europese Commissie, de Staat en de (inter)nationale rechter: een staatssteunrechtelijk 'Game of Thrones' of checks and balances? De staatssteunrechtelijke bevoegdhedenverdeling tussen de Europese Commissie, de Staat en de rechter houdt de gemoederen bezig. Een voorbeeld hiervan biedt de Micula rechtspraak over investeringsarbitrage. Deze blog bespreekt dergelijke zaken.
Verticale prijsbinding: handhaving, boetes en schadeclaims We bespreken de wijze waarop bedrijven hun afnemers ongeoorloofd dwingen tot het rekenen van minimumprijzen en waarom dat niet mag. De ACM handhaaft streng en leveranciers kunnen rekenen op hoge boetes en schadeclaims van gedupeerde consumenten.
Widening the net: The Dutch government proposes to broaden the scope of the Vifo Act The Vifo Act continues to evolve: Dutch government to extend the scope of the general Dutch FDI screening regime to cover six additional technologies.
EU Compass: Boosting competitiveness as North Star Are ‘European champion’ companies walled off from unfair (foreign) competition the future? The European Commission recently presented its Competitiveness Compass to navigate the European Union to strengthened competitiveness.
ACM study calls for regulation of Big Techs on payment market The ACM’s market study, published on 1 December 2020, provides an overview of recent and upcoming developments concerning the role of Big Tech companies in both online and offline payment markets in the Netherlands.
HagaZiekenhuis beboet voor datalek Enkele maanden geleden vierden we de eerste verjaardag van de Algemene Verordening Gegevensbescherming (AVG) met een uitgebreide beschouwing over de belangrijkste ontwikkelingen uit het eerste jaar van de verordening.
ACM launches probe into Apple's App Store The Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) has announced that it is opening an investigation into whether Apple abuses the position it has attained with its App Store. The investigation will initially focus on news apps.
Stibbe advises Sonova Holding AG Stibbe has advised Sonova Holding AG on its acquisition of AudioNova B.V. from HAL Investments. The value of AudioNova is EUR 830 million.