Author: Paul Droessler

Antitrust lawyer with a special interest in the political perspective of antitrust and foreign investment control related topics.

FDI in Europe: Open for business, screening for security?

I admit – I like numbers, and the European Commission’s fifth annual report on foreign direct investment screening is packed with them. But since not all readers share my enthusiasm for statistics, this post highlights the most striking observations. Last month, the European Commission (Commission) published its fifth annual report on foreign direct investment (FDI) … Continue reading FDI in Europe: Open for business, screening for security? →

Media mergers – more complex than ever?

Like many other industries, the media sector is undergoing significant disruption, with linear TV increasingly losing relevance amid the rise of streaming platforms and alternatives such as social media. Regulators worldwide take these changes into account when assessing cooperations and transactions – particularly with regard to market definitions. Many cases have led to in-depth reviews … Continue reading Media mergers – more complex than ever? →

Sustainability meets antitrust again: EC greenlights collective action in wine and ports

It is often said that things slow down in Brussels in the summer months. Still, the European Commission issued two decisions in July that could bring back a topic in the spotlight which was a bit overshadowed by other (geopolitical) issues in recent months – the interaction between sustainability and antitrust law in Europe. A … Continue reading Sustainability meets antitrust again: EC greenlights collective action in wine and ports →

Standalone no-poach: French decision tops EU landmark

Admittedly, we blogged about a similar topic only two weeks ago. And while we try not to repeat ourselves too often keep things varied here, two recent decisions – by the French regulator and the European Commission – relating to no-poach agreements are simply too important and far-reaching not to examine them more closely. This … Continue reading Standalone no-poach: French decision tops EU landmark →

Money for the defence sector and what it means for competition

Once the new government has settled in, Germany will be spending a lot of money in the years to come. A significant portion of the pre-agreed investments will go to the defence sector. Such state-directed investments will naturally have a significant impact on the competitive landscape in Germany and beyond. The German Monopolies Commission has … Continue reading Money for the defence sector and what it means for competition →

Transaction value threshold – less transactions in scope than one would expect?

In his annual speech at the Studienvereinigung Kartellrecht in Bonn at the end of last year, the president of the German Federal Cartel Office (FCO), Andreas Mundt, emphasized that merger control might be the most interesting and relevant part of the regulator’s ongoing work. A recent decision by the Higher General Court of Düsseldorf supports … Continue reading Transaction value threshold – less transactions in scope than one would expect? →

False starts into the new year: Update on gun jumping

Traditionally, the time between the years is not known for many interesting decisions and developments in antitrust law. However, it is noteworthy that in the first days of the new year, three decisions were published in which three major competition regulators imposed fines for violations of the merger control standstill obligation. These decisions serve as … Continue reading False starts into the new year: Update on gun jumping →

Back to the roots in enforcement?

For once, antitrust was not at the centre of world events this week…but enforcement continued steadily. Three actions by three different regulators this week demonstrate once again that antitrust investigations are very broad-based, whether in traditional cartel agreements, cases where boundaries blur in M&A contexts, or in the increased scrutiny of actions by potentially dominant … Continue reading Back to the roots in enforcement? →