A blog about the intersection of antitrust, foreign investment control, politics, and everything in between
Last week, the German Federal Cartel Office (FCO) declared commitments offered by Apple regarding its Apple Tracking Transparency Framework (ATTF) binding, thereby concluding proceedings which were initiated in 2022. At first sight, this may look like another Big Tech case. But the case is also interesting for another reason: The same practice by Apple has … Continue reading Regulatory Cooperation: One Practice, Several Regulators
The German Federal Cartel Office (FCO) recently imposed fines of EUR 11.9 million on tyre importer Maxxis and two tyre wholesalers for operating a system that allegedly restricted price competition in the distribution of Maxxis and CST tyres in Germany. But it is more than just another RPM case. According to the FCO, the case … Continue reading When RPM is not just RPM
Earlier this week, the Bundeskartellamt (FCO) published its annual report covering 2025 and early 2026. If there was a single theme running through the FCO’s 2025/26 Annual Report, it is this: Competition policy is no longer confined to traditional antitrust questions. It has become a tool for managing geopolitical shocks, digital gatekeepers, energy security, AI-driven … Continue reading Competition Law 2025 – the Bundeskartellamt’s annual report is here
For decades, competition law has been guided by a simple idea: Collusion requires contact. Firms need to communicate, coordinate, or at least signal to each other in some identifiable way. Agreements might be explicit or tacit – but they always assume interaction between the companies themselves. The Danish Dinero case suggests that this premise is … Continue reading From Chatbots to Cartels?
The European Commission’s announcement about dawn raids in the chocolate confectionery sector on Monday (!!) this week may appear, at first glance, like a normal enforcement move. But there might be more. Once again, it seems as if Brussels is signalling that restrictions on cross‑border trade inside the EU remain politically toxic and legally unforgivable … Continue reading Chocolate, borders, and the Single Market: Why the Commission’s new raids matter
Price comparison platforms have become essential infrastructure for energy consumers – and now, one of the largest is being forced to change its business practices. The German Federal Cartel Office (FCO) announced earlier this week that it has accepted binding commitments from Check24 to abandon price parity clauses in its contracts with energy suppliers. The … Continue reading News on parity clauses: platform power and the Energiewende
Before we wrap up the year with our traditional Christmas story, let us take a moment to celebrate other things which belong to Christmas just like mulled wine, cookies and the Christmas tree – classics like Home Alone, Die Hard and, of course, Harry Potter. While some of us eagerly await the new season of … Continue reading Get Warner – “An Anti-Monopoly Nightmare”
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?
September means the start of autumn, days getting shorter while skies often remain blue and the air crisp. Since two years, September also means time for the annual conference of the German “Forum Investitionsprüfung” – an association/platform of foreign investment control practitioners. Here is a summary of my the main takeaways. This post will spare … Continue reading Update on Foreign Investment Control – Conference Report
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?
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