A new frontier: Is FDI screening morphing into a data protection tool?

Traditionally, foreign investment control was largely about the "hardware" of national security. Regulators cared about who owned the ports, the power plants, the tank manufacturers. If an acquirer was not buying a "strategic" physical asset, reviews tended to be smooth. Those times are over. While the US was somewhat ahead with this, also in Europe … Continue reading A new frontier: Is FDI screening morphing into a data protection tool? →

Private cartel enforcement and a new innovative approach

Last year ended with a remarkable judgment by the Higher Regional Court of Stuttgart concerning a follow-on damage claim. The case related to the bathroom fittings cartel. The judgment, inter alia, clarifies requirements related to the burden of proof, and endorses an innovative multi‑stage structured assessment for quantifying alleged cartel damages by introducing a cartel … Continue reading Private cartel enforcement and a new innovative approach →

New year, new (and old) antitrust goals: Avoiding risks in associations

2026 has started and we are back with our blog! As many people set new resolutions for the new year, I thought this would be the perfect moment to suggest some antitrust goals for 2026. Looking back at 2025, two European Commission cases offer the ideal starting point. Both had one thing in common: The … Continue reading New year, new (and old) antitrust goals: Avoiding risks in associations →

The Slovak Study on Competition in the Labour Market: Changes in Much More Than Competition Policy?

By Tomáš Varšo, Aneta Králová and Robert Neruda, HAVEL & PARTNERS The Slovak Competition Authority (Protimonopolný úrad SR) has recently published an economic report that might break new ground in its policy. The watchdog conducted a comprehensive analysis that examines the competitive environment of the Slovak labour market. The study builds upon the increased interest … Continue reading The Slovak Study on Competition in the Labour Market: Changes in Much More Than Competition Policy? →

Do you believe in Santa Claus?

Netflix may not yet be interested in my tales of Lotte, the fearless competition lawyer (maybe because they are too busy with their own merger, their Christmas movie offering could definitively use better movies), but that will not stop me from continuing the saga for the admittedly small group of fans out there, demonstrating that … Continue reading Do you believe in Santa Claus? →

Waste management under scrutiny: Rethmann the first having to notify sub-threshold mergers

Co-authored by Robin Sachs The German waste management sector has been under close antitrust scrutiny for years, and the German Federal Cartel Office (FCO) has now taken the next step. For the first time, the regulator has issued a decision under Section 32f (2) German Competition Act (GWB), imposing extended merger-notification obligations on the Rethmann … Continue reading Waste management under scrutiny: Rethmann the first having to notify sub-threshold mergers →

Antitrust and ESG – different views and resulting new risks

A few years ago, sustainability cooperations seemed to be the next big thing in antitrust. Today, however, it’s clear that some disillusionment has set in. The number of publicaly known cooperations offically justified by sustainability considerations is still very limited. Now, sustainability cooperations seem to encounter new headwind from the United States. Time to alert … Continue reading Antitrust and ESG – different views and resulting new risks →

Merger Control, FDI and FSR: Lessons learned from recent deals

As our regular readers know, M&A deals in Europe face a complex interplay of merger control, foreign investment control and the Foreign Subsidies Regulations. Three very recent transactions illustrate how these regimes shape deal strategy and timelines. This post will dive into initial lessons to be learned from Universal/Downtown Music, Snam/Open Grid Europe and ADNOC/Covestro. … Continue reading Merger Control, FDI and FSR: Lessons learned from recent deals →

The Debate on Call-In Powers reignited by a fine on Doctolib

The French Competition Authority’s recent decision to fine Doctolib – a French technology company that offers software for, among other things, online booking of appointments with doctors – marks a shift in European competition enforcement. For the first time, the French regulator applied abuse of dominance rules to sanction a below-threshold merger ex post. This … Continue reading The Debate on Call-In Powers reignited by a fine on Doctolib →