222 results 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. 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. 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. The ECJ’s ruling in Servier: Never Settle For Less Patent settlement agreements between originator pharmaceutical companies and generics manufacturers are a risky business. Originator medicine company Servier and five generic companies rolled the dice and the ECJ largely confirmed their antitrust fines. Ready, set, go! The Dutch national security screening FDI regime takes off The Dutch Investments, Mergers and Acquisitions Security Screening Act (Wet veiligheidstoets investeringen, fusies en overnames – Vifo Act) entered into force on 1 June 2023. 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. 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. 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. First application of Towercast in Belgium and merger filing exemption for certain hospital merger The Belgian Competition Authority has applied the Towercast case law in a first case in Belgium. It could possibly try do so again for certain hospital mergers that the legislator has recently exempted from merger filing in Belgium. The era of FDI screenings kicks off in Belgium The Belgian screening mechanism for FDIs will enter into force on 1 July 2023. The mechanism is designed to safeguard Belgium's critical infrastructure and to protect sectors crucial to Belgium's public order, national security and strategic interests. ECJ calls the shots: CK Telecoms ruling sent back to General Court The ECJ overruled the General Court in its CK Telecoms ruling, taking the strict requirements that the GC placed on the Commission when reviewing mergers off the table. This will make it easier for competition authorities to intervene in merger cases. EU merger guidelines review: catching up with the times? A potential major overhaul of EU merger control review began on 8 May 2025. Time for stakeholders to speak up about whether and particularly how the European Commission should incorporate wider strategic or societal objectives into its merger assessments. Digital Markets Act: “with great power must come great responsibility” The countdown is on for digital giants. The entry into force of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) on 1 November 2022 triggered a to do list for potential gatekeepers with 2 May 2023 as the next key date to keep in mind: see our DMA infographic. 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. Shaping the Future: The Belgian Competition Authority’s 2025 Roadmap On 29 April 2025, the Belgian Competition Authority announced its sectoral and strategic priorities. These priorities reflect a confident authority that seeks to strengthen its enforcement tools to meet new challenges in competition law. ECJ in Towercast: plan C for tackling concentrations? Companies beware: completed non-notifiable concentrations do not necessarily go scot-free. An ex post abuse-of-dominance investigation by national competition authorities (NCA) could still loom. Foreign investment developments in 2022 2022 marks the second year of the EU Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Regulation, and the year in which legislators haven been busy shaping the Dutch national security screening regime and the EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation. Pagination Previous page Page 10 Page 11 Current page 12 Page 13 Next page
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.
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.
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.
The ECJ’s ruling in Servier: Never Settle For Less Patent settlement agreements between originator pharmaceutical companies and generics manufacturers are a risky business. Originator medicine company Servier and five generic companies rolled the dice and the ECJ largely confirmed their antitrust fines.
Ready, set, go! The Dutch national security screening FDI regime takes off The Dutch Investments, Mergers and Acquisitions Security Screening Act (Wet veiligheidstoets investeringen, fusies en overnames – Vifo Act) entered into force on 1 June 2023.
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.
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.
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.
First application of Towercast in Belgium and merger filing exemption for certain hospital merger The Belgian Competition Authority has applied the Towercast case law in a first case in Belgium. It could possibly try do so again for certain hospital mergers that the legislator has recently exempted from merger filing in Belgium.
The era of FDI screenings kicks off in Belgium The Belgian screening mechanism for FDIs will enter into force on 1 July 2023. The mechanism is designed to safeguard Belgium's critical infrastructure and to protect sectors crucial to Belgium's public order, national security and strategic interests.
ECJ calls the shots: CK Telecoms ruling sent back to General Court The ECJ overruled the General Court in its CK Telecoms ruling, taking the strict requirements that the GC placed on the Commission when reviewing mergers off the table. This will make it easier for competition authorities to intervene in merger cases.
EU merger guidelines review: catching up with the times? A potential major overhaul of EU merger control review began on 8 May 2025. Time for stakeholders to speak up about whether and particularly how the European Commission should incorporate wider strategic or societal objectives into its merger assessments.
Digital Markets Act: “with great power must come great responsibility” The countdown is on for digital giants. The entry into force of the Digital Markets Act (DMA) on 1 November 2022 triggered a to do list for potential gatekeepers with 2 May 2023 as the next key date to keep in mind: see our DMA infographic.
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.
Shaping the Future: The Belgian Competition Authority’s 2025 Roadmap On 29 April 2025, the Belgian Competition Authority announced its sectoral and strategic priorities. These priorities reflect a confident authority that seeks to strengthen its enforcement tools to meet new challenges in competition law.
ECJ in Towercast: plan C for tackling concentrations? Companies beware: completed non-notifiable concentrations do not necessarily go scot-free. An ex post abuse-of-dominance investigation by national competition authorities (NCA) could still loom.
Foreign investment developments in 2022 2022 marks the second year of the EU Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) Regulation, and the year in which legislators haven been busy shaping the Dutch national security screening regime and the EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation.