156 results 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. 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. 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. Tom Verdonk Associate Amsterdam 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. 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. Auke-Frank Tadema Associate Amsterdam 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. Digital Law Up(to)date: Clarification by the CJEU on the retention of traffic and location electronic communications data for the purpose of combating serious crime The Grand Chamber of the CJEU confirms that EU law precludes national legislative measures which provide for the general and indiscriminate retention of traffic and location data relating to e-communications, for the purpose of combating serious crime. 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! Digital Law Up(to)date: New European initiative to regulate the relationship between digital platforms and their workers The European Commission wants to regulate the relationship between digital platforms and their workers. The main objective of the Commission is to improve the working conditions of people working through digital labour platforms. Digital Law Up(to)date: The cookie consent framework of IAB Europe violates the GDPR On 2 February 2022, the Belgian Data Protection Authority considered that the Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF) developed by Interactive Advertising Bureau Europe (IAB) violates the GDPR. Digital Law Up(to)date: Towards a European electronic chips sovereignty The European Commission published a European Chips Act to confront semiconductors shortages and strengthen the technological leadership of the European Union. Employers beware: the Commission joins the ‘labour party’ Companies should review their recruitment and hiring policies and practices. The Commission has joined the hunt for ‘job cartels’ with its first ever cartel in the labour market. Mondelēz’s fine takes the biscuit: cross-border trade crusade peaks The European Commission has fined Mondelēz EUR 337.5 million for restricting cross-border trade. Brand owners are advised to double-check their licensing and distribution systems, as well as their commercial conduct, for possible territorial restraints. Meta fined for Facebook Marketplace’s Unfair Trading Conditions and Tying Unfair trading conditions and tying are gaining traction as alleged abusive practices in the digital industry, as the European Commission fines Meta EUR 797.72 million for hindering competitors of Facebook Marketplace. 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. Google Android-ruling: Commission flunks AEC test once again The AEC test has likely assumed mythic status at the European Commission with the EU courts striking down its AEC analysis for a third time. Nevertheless, the Commission seems on the right track to tackling abuse of dominance in the digital sector. Pagination Previous page Page 6 Current page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Next page
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Digital Law Up(to)date: Clarification by the CJEU on the retention of traffic and location electronic communications data for the purpose of combating serious crime The Grand Chamber of the CJEU confirms that EU law precludes national legislative measures which provide for the general and indiscriminate retention of traffic and location data relating to e-communications, for the purpose of combating serious crime.
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!
Digital Law Up(to)date: New European initiative to regulate the relationship between digital platforms and their workers The European Commission wants to regulate the relationship between digital platforms and their workers. The main objective of the Commission is to improve the working conditions of people working through digital labour platforms.
Digital Law Up(to)date: The cookie consent framework of IAB Europe violates the GDPR On 2 February 2022, the Belgian Data Protection Authority considered that the Transparency and Consent Framework (TCF) developed by Interactive Advertising Bureau Europe (IAB) violates the GDPR.
Digital Law Up(to)date: Towards a European electronic chips sovereignty The European Commission published a European Chips Act to confront semiconductors shortages and strengthen the technological leadership of the European Union.
Employers beware: the Commission joins the ‘labour party’ Companies should review their recruitment and hiring policies and practices. The Commission has joined the hunt for ‘job cartels’ with its first ever cartel in the labour market.
Mondelēz’s fine takes the biscuit: cross-border trade crusade peaks The European Commission has fined Mondelēz EUR 337.5 million for restricting cross-border trade. Brand owners are advised to double-check their licensing and distribution systems, as well as their commercial conduct, for possible territorial restraints.
Meta fined for Facebook Marketplace’s Unfair Trading Conditions and Tying Unfair trading conditions and tying are gaining traction as alleged abusive practices in the digital industry, as the European Commission fines Meta EUR 797.72 million for hindering competitors of Facebook Marketplace.
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.
Google Android-ruling: Commission flunks AEC test once again The AEC test has likely assumed mythic status at the European Commission with the EU courts striking down its AEC analysis for a third time. Nevertheless, the Commission seems on the right track to tackling abuse of dominance in the digital sector.