222 results Safeguarding legal privilege: better safe than sorry? The European Court of Justice recently ruled that the European Commission does not have to take additional precautionary measures to respect the right of legal professional privilege when conducting a new dawn raid at the same company. The ACM has to pay: moral damages awarded to real estate traders The Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) needs to cough up a total of EUR 120,000 in moral damages to three real estate traders. The postman will no longer ring twice: Minister unblocks postal merger The Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) recently blocked postal operator PostNL's acquisition of its only national competitor, Sandd, because this would create "a monopolist on the postal delivery market". Big tech firms entering banking: be careful what you wish for Big tech firms, whether entering or already active on payments markets, are under scrutiny. PSD2 has opened up the payments markets to non-bank companies, but this comes with both risks and opportunities. Walking a thin line: cooperation and collusion Buying groups are under attack from competition authorities across Europe. Extended access to electronic data for the Belgian Competition Authority The Belgian legislator has amended some competition law provisions in Book IV Code of Economic law. The new provision on access to data of electronic communications operators endows the Belgian Competition Authority with new investigation powers. The long and (un)winding road of ‘killer acquisition’ Illumina/Grail Crystal ball gazing into prospective innovation rat races when assessing vertical mergers may soon be all in a day’s work for the European Commission. Innovation was a recurring theme in the Commission’s handling of the Illumina/Grail deal. Gotta catch ‘em all? Upward referral of ‘killer acquisitions’ upheld Companies involved in intended or completed M&A transactions falling below EU and national merger notification thresholds should beware that their deals may still catch the European Commission’s eye. ACM geeft bedrijven meer ruimte om samen te werken voor klimaat- en milieudoelen De Autoriteit Consument & Markt (ACM) wil dat Nederlandse bedrijven meer ruimte krijgen om samen te werken op het gebied van duurzaamheid. Court of Appeal overturns first instance judgment and establishes that several prestressing steel producers are liable for the potential loss alleged by Deutsche Bahn The Court of Appeal of 's-Hertogenbosch ruled that several producers of prestressing steel are jointly and severally liable for potential loss that Deutsche Bahn may have suffered as a result of an infringement of competition law rules. If you have nothing nice to say…Teva fined heavily for abusive conduct Dominant pharma companies had better watch their words and use the patent system wisely. Pharma company Teva was fined EUR 462.6 million for disparagement and ‘divisional gaming’ to delay market entry and hinder the uptake of a competing drug. Commission takes labour market enforcement to the next level Employers beware: the European Commission is strengthening its actions against anticompetitive practices in labour markets. In its recent Competition Policy Brief it takes a tough stance. Companies are well-advised to review their employment practices. The Commission’s ‘killer’ pharma campaign: reason to complain? The European Commission is on the prowl in the pharma sector. Recent cases on alleged disparagement and pipeline drugs-killings show that it is not afraid to show its teeth and, ultimately, bite. Qualcomm falls prey to EU court’s predatory pricing ruling The EU General Court confirms that Qualcomm’s below-cost pricing strategy designed to eliminate competition was predatory. This judgment, the first of its kind in over a decade, provides useful guidance on predatory pricing practices. On repeat but louder: the ACM’s 2024 priorities On 23 January 2024, the ACM announced its priorities for 2024. The energy transition, the digital economy and sustainability are still on the ACM’s priority list, but now with better-equipped enforcement methods available. 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. You win some, you lose some: Google AdSense decision annulled The General Court has annulled the EUR 1.49 billion fine imposed on Google. The Commission had failed to properly assess the allegedly abusive contractual clauses related to online advertising, including whether they actually had a lock-in effect. Competition law in 2024: putting theory into practice 2023 marked the near finale of the European Commission’s overhaul of its competition policy, leaving only a few loose ends to tie up in 2024/2025. It is now time to watch theory be put into practice by the competition authorities and at the courts. Pagination Previous page Page 10 Current page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Next page
Safeguarding legal privilege: better safe than sorry? The European Court of Justice recently ruled that the European Commission does not have to take additional precautionary measures to respect the right of legal professional privilege when conducting a new dawn raid at the same company.
The ACM has to pay: moral damages awarded to real estate traders The Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) needs to cough up a total of EUR 120,000 in moral damages to three real estate traders.
The postman will no longer ring twice: Minister unblocks postal merger The Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) recently blocked postal operator PostNL's acquisition of its only national competitor, Sandd, because this would create "a monopolist on the postal delivery market".
Big tech firms entering banking: be careful what you wish for Big tech firms, whether entering or already active on payments markets, are under scrutiny. PSD2 has opened up the payments markets to non-bank companies, but this comes with both risks and opportunities.
Walking a thin line: cooperation and collusion Buying groups are under attack from competition authorities across Europe.
Extended access to electronic data for the Belgian Competition Authority The Belgian legislator has amended some competition law provisions in Book IV Code of Economic law. The new provision on access to data of electronic communications operators endows the Belgian Competition Authority with new investigation powers.
The long and (un)winding road of ‘killer acquisition’ Illumina/Grail Crystal ball gazing into prospective innovation rat races when assessing vertical mergers may soon be all in a day’s work for the European Commission. Innovation was a recurring theme in the Commission’s handling of the Illumina/Grail deal.
Gotta catch ‘em all? Upward referral of ‘killer acquisitions’ upheld Companies involved in intended or completed M&A transactions falling below EU and national merger notification thresholds should beware that their deals may still catch the European Commission’s eye.
ACM geeft bedrijven meer ruimte om samen te werken voor klimaat- en milieudoelen De Autoriteit Consument & Markt (ACM) wil dat Nederlandse bedrijven meer ruimte krijgen om samen te werken op het gebied van duurzaamheid.
Court of Appeal overturns first instance judgment and establishes that several prestressing steel producers are liable for the potential loss alleged by Deutsche Bahn The Court of Appeal of 's-Hertogenbosch ruled that several producers of prestressing steel are jointly and severally liable for potential loss that Deutsche Bahn may have suffered as a result of an infringement of competition law rules.
If you have nothing nice to say…Teva fined heavily for abusive conduct Dominant pharma companies had better watch their words and use the patent system wisely. Pharma company Teva was fined EUR 462.6 million for disparagement and ‘divisional gaming’ to delay market entry and hinder the uptake of a competing drug.
Commission takes labour market enforcement to the next level Employers beware: the European Commission is strengthening its actions against anticompetitive practices in labour markets. In its recent Competition Policy Brief it takes a tough stance. Companies are well-advised to review their employment practices.
The Commission’s ‘killer’ pharma campaign: reason to complain? The European Commission is on the prowl in the pharma sector. Recent cases on alleged disparagement and pipeline drugs-killings show that it is not afraid to show its teeth and, ultimately, bite.
Qualcomm falls prey to EU court’s predatory pricing ruling The EU General Court confirms that Qualcomm’s below-cost pricing strategy designed to eliminate competition was predatory. This judgment, the first of its kind in over a decade, provides useful guidance on predatory pricing practices.
On repeat but louder: the ACM’s 2024 priorities On 23 January 2024, the ACM announced its priorities for 2024. The energy transition, the digital economy and sustainability are still on the ACM’s priority list, but now with better-equipped enforcement methods available.
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.
You win some, you lose some: Google AdSense decision annulled The General Court has annulled the EUR 1.49 billion fine imposed on Google. The Commission had failed to properly assess the allegedly abusive contractual clauses related to online advertising, including whether they actually had a lock-in effect.
Competition law in 2024: putting theory into practice 2023 marked the near finale of the European Commission’s overhaul of its competition policy, leaving only a few loose ends to tie up in 2024/2025. It is now time to watch theory be put into practice by the competition authorities and at the courts.