441 results Peter Wytinck Partner Brussels 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. Game over for dark patterns? ACM fines Epic for unfairly targeting children The ACM has fined Epic Games for exploiting children’s psychological vulnerabilities, marking a key moment for Dutch consumer law enforcement. Our briefing examines the broader implications for consumer-facing businesses, especially those in online sales. Stibbe advises Viatris in sale of substantially all of Viatris’ European OTC Business to Cooper Consumer Health Stibbe successfully guides Viatris through EU regulatory processes. Killing three birds with one stone: Illumina wins Article 22 battle The ECJ wrote the epilogue to the Illumina/Grail saga, overturning the EC’s novel ‘Article 22’ approach. It is now clear that the EC cannot accept referral requests to review transactions that fall below the thresholds of national merger control regimes. Mira Deweerdt Junior Associate Brussels 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. District Court ruled on the recognition of the res judicata effect of a Turkish judgment and dismissed an antitrust follow on damages claim regarding the cathode-ray tube markets The District Court of Oost-Brabant recognized the res judicata effect of a Turkish court of appeal judgment, in which the Turkish court had dismissed antitrust damages claims brought by Vestel against Philips, Samsung, LGE, Technicolor, TTD and TDP. Stibbe advises Goed A multidisciplinary Stibbe team advised Goed and its shareholders on its binding agreement with Mulitpharma relating to the sale of Goed’s pharmaceutical retail and wholesale business. The Foreign Subsidies Regulation’s initial focus on China Although the text of the Foreign Subsidies Regulation is not aimed at specific countries, the European Commission’s initial enforcement actions appear to be targeting Chinese subsidies. Third time lucky: Intel wins loyalty rebate battle at EU top court The European Court of Justice has upheld the annulment of Intel’s EUR 1.06 billion fine for abuse of dominance. The judgment provides guidance on how to assess the anti-competitiveness of loyalty rebates. 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. EU lift cartel damage claim rejected by Brussels Court of Appeal After 16 years of court battle, the Brussels Court of Appeal has rejected the EU’s EUR 12 million (+ interest) damage claim against the four lift producers that participated in the lift cartel fined in 2007. First trip around the sun: FSR – one year in review The Foreign Subsidies Regulation has celebrated one year of its application. Time for companies to take stock of the lessons learnt from key developments of this first year. However, ambiguities remain and more is yet to come. Watch this space! To Prove or Presume? The EC’s Draft Guidelines on exclusionary abuses The Commission recently published its Draft Guidelines on Exclusionary Abuses of Dominance, which are meant to reflect the EU case law. However, they seem to deviate on important aspects, arguably simplifying the assessment for establishing an abuse. FDI screening guidance: shedding some light in the darkness The Dutch general investment screening regime came into effect in June 2023. Decisions are not yet publicly available. However, three guidance papers list the practical experience gained so far and help to assess whether a transaction is notifiable. Belgian court approves sale of television rights despite no call for tenders The Brussels Commercial Court ruled on 18 December 2024 that the sale of cycling television rights in Belgium did not violate EU competition rules despite the lack of a formal tender procedure. ACM rolls the dice on roll-up strategies For the first time, the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets conducted a merger review involving a ‘roll-up strategy’. The outcome of another roll-up strategy merger assessment is pending. Pagination Previous page Page 5 Current page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Next page
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.
Game over for dark patterns? ACM fines Epic for unfairly targeting children The ACM has fined Epic Games for exploiting children’s psychological vulnerabilities, marking a key moment for Dutch consumer law enforcement. Our briefing examines the broader implications for consumer-facing businesses, especially those in online sales.
Stibbe advises Viatris in sale of substantially all of Viatris’ European OTC Business to Cooper Consumer Health Stibbe successfully guides Viatris through EU regulatory processes.
Killing three birds with one stone: Illumina wins Article 22 battle The ECJ wrote the epilogue to the Illumina/Grail saga, overturning the EC’s novel ‘Article 22’ approach. It is now clear that the EC cannot accept referral requests to review transactions that fall below the thresholds of national merger control regimes.
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.
District Court ruled on the recognition of the res judicata effect of a Turkish judgment and dismissed an antitrust follow on damages claim regarding the cathode-ray tube markets The District Court of Oost-Brabant recognized the res judicata effect of a Turkish court of appeal judgment, in which the Turkish court had dismissed antitrust damages claims brought by Vestel against Philips, Samsung, LGE, Technicolor, TTD and TDP.
Stibbe advises Goed A multidisciplinary Stibbe team advised Goed and its shareholders on its binding agreement with Mulitpharma relating to the sale of Goed’s pharmaceutical retail and wholesale business.
The Foreign Subsidies Regulation’s initial focus on China Although the text of the Foreign Subsidies Regulation is not aimed at specific countries, the European Commission’s initial enforcement actions appear to be targeting Chinese subsidies.
Third time lucky: Intel wins loyalty rebate battle at EU top court The European Court of Justice has upheld the annulment of Intel’s EUR 1.06 billion fine for abuse of dominance. The judgment provides guidance on how to assess the anti-competitiveness of loyalty rebates.
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.
EU lift cartel damage claim rejected by Brussels Court of Appeal After 16 years of court battle, the Brussels Court of Appeal has rejected the EU’s EUR 12 million (+ interest) damage claim against the four lift producers that participated in the lift cartel fined in 2007.
First trip around the sun: FSR – one year in review The Foreign Subsidies Regulation has celebrated one year of its application. Time for companies to take stock of the lessons learnt from key developments of this first year. However, ambiguities remain and more is yet to come. Watch this space!
To Prove or Presume? The EC’s Draft Guidelines on exclusionary abuses The Commission recently published its Draft Guidelines on Exclusionary Abuses of Dominance, which are meant to reflect the EU case law. However, they seem to deviate on important aspects, arguably simplifying the assessment for establishing an abuse.
FDI screening guidance: shedding some light in the darkness The Dutch general investment screening regime came into effect in June 2023. Decisions are not yet publicly available. However, three guidance papers list the practical experience gained so far and help to assess whether a transaction is notifiable.
Belgian court approves sale of television rights despite no call for tenders The Brussels Commercial Court ruled on 18 December 2024 that the sale of cycling television rights in Belgium did not violate EU competition rules despite the lack of a formal tender procedure.
ACM rolls the dice on roll-up strategies For the first time, the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets conducted a merger review involving a ‘roll-up strategy’. The outcome of another roll-up strategy merger assessment is pending.