A blog about the intersection of antitrust, foreign investment control, politics, and everything in between
There has been quite some talk lately about how the European Commission and national regulators will deal with their respective competences once the Digital Market Act has been set into force. In merger control, referrals in both directions are well established with some very crucial legal and political questions currently in the spotlight. An opportunity … Continue reading Take it or leave it: Referrals in the EU
Starting with a spoiler: The answer is a clear YES! The draft Data Act published by the European Commission touches upon and is intertwined with antitrust in many ways. Here is why and how. The European Commission has tabled its proposal for the Data Act. The new rules are meant to introduce “measures for a … Continue reading The Data Act – an antitrust topic?
The European Commission has launched an “additional” public consultation on guidance regarding information exchange in dual distribution. More guidance is welcome, but timing is tight. This post provides a short overview of what the guidance/consultation are about and of their policy implications. The Vertical Block Exemption Regulation (VBER) and the accompanying Vertical Guidelines lay out … Continue reading Dual distribution, information exchange, and the EC’s consultation – practical and policy highlights
January was quite a month for the video gaming industry with three blockbuster deals. Many commentators have tried to predict potential antitrust issues and highlighted the anticipated interest of antitrust regulators in these cases worldwide. In this post, we provide an overview of recent developments and the relevant markets. The new year started with a … Continue reading Billion-dollar baby: Playing video games
The European Commission has published its final report on the sector inquiry into the consumer Internet of Things (IoT), i.e., into “smart devices” like wearables, smart speakers or smart home products. The document is a pretty crisp summary of the consumer IoT as the Commission sees it and contains quite a number of hints on … Continue reading A few thoughts on the European Commission’s Internet of Things Sector Inquiry
In part III of our series antitrust and the political system, Guillaume Fabre, partner at French antitrust boutique Jouvensal Fabre, gives insights into the French antitrust world and latest developments. On 4 October 2021, the small world of competition law in Paris was thrown in turmoil. Ms de Silva was widely expected to be appointed … Continue reading TV ads & crooks – “Antitrust & the Political System” goes to France
We blogged about acquisitions of football clubs and the German 50+1 rule a while ago. But there are far more antitrust aspects clubs, associations and organisations should keep in mind. This post gives an overview of recent developments and outlines what it means to play fair and square in antitrust terms. Whilst cooperations between competitors, … Continue reading A new game to play? Current and upcoming antitrust issues in sports
Part II of our series – this time focusing on the decision-making process in the EU and within the European Commission. We kicked off this series with our post on Germany and on where the Bundeskartellamt sits in the political system. This time, we will deep dive into the European antitrust hierarchy and see if … Continue reading Antitrust and the Political System – Part II: EU
With Newcastle United having been acquired by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund and many commentators highlighting that something similar could not happen in Germany, we will check whether and how antitrust comes into play when it comes to the acquisition of football clubs. For many years, English football fans have been used to “grief and … Continue reading Newcastle, MBS & 50+1 – How does antitrust come into play?
Part I of our series looking at who is responsible for making decisions within certain antitrust authorities and the extent to which there might be political oversight. The extent of (potential) political influence on the decision-making process and enforcement priorities of antitrust authorities is closely linked to structural questions. First and foremost, it is decisive … Continue reading Antitrust and the Political System – Part I: Germany
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