Author: Tobias Pukropski

Enthusiast for antitrust law and German foreign investment control and particularly interested in the intersection of politics with both.

Joint purchasing – Three key points in the current clash

There currently is much debate about how joint purchasing should be assessed going forward, and whether existing purchasing alliances should face greater scrutiny. This piece highlights three key points on joint purchasing, antitrust, and the involved politics. The European Commission lays out its view of joint purchasing in its Horizontal Guidelines, published already in 2011. … Continue reading Joint purchasing – Three key points in the current clash →

Gas price hike in Europe – the Gazprom cases

Gas prices are rising in Europe and some are requesting an antitrust investigation into Russian Gazprom. Time to look at past cases against the company and their outcomes. As temperatures are getting colder, gas prices have almost tripled in Europe since the middle of this year. About 37% of EU gas imports stem from Russia, … Continue reading Gas price hike in Europe – the Gazprom cases →

The Digital Markets Act: EU Member States afraid of tech lobbying

The Council of the EU has denied public access to documents relating to the Digital Markets Act. The reasoning is remarkable: The Council is afraid that disclosure would lead to a level of tech lobbying that would undermine the decision-making process. This comes at a time where tech is outspending all other sectors in EU … Continue reading The Digital Markets Act: EU Member States afraid of tech lobbying →

A look at three of Europe’s most political transactions right now

This post takes a closer look at three of the transactions currently undergoing review in Europe with the heaviest political implications, and on what can be drawn from them. With M&A activity on record levels, times will be far from boring for antitrust and foreign investment control regulators. While transactions will be assessed on the … Continue reading A look at three of Europe’s most political transactions right now →