Archive for January 2010
20,000 visits
20,000 visits on this blog in a little more than 4 months. Beyond our expectations. Thanks to all of you.
I am today in Madrid, where Luis Ortiz Blanco and Pablo Ibanez Colomo invited me to give to lecture in the context of a competition law course intended to Spanish public officials and private practitioners. The programme is organized by the Universidad Complutense and the Instituto de Estudios Bursatiles (IEB). The brochure can be found below.
Everything you always wanted to know on the Lisbon Treaty (but were too afraid to ask)
My research institute (IEJE) organizes on 26 February in Brussels a conference on the Lisbon Treaty. We have invited top notch european law specialists. Although not my primary field of specialization, I really cannot wait for the conference (I actually think that the effect of the Lisbon Treaty on EU competition law has been somewhat underrated, will come back to this in a forthcoming paper) . Programme and registration form can be found below.
Just Published
- From Formalism to Effects? The Commission’s Communication on Enforcement Priorities in Applying Article 82 EC – World Competition 2009(4) – This is a written, extended, version of a speech I delivered in July 2009 at the Polish Office for the Protection of Competition and Consumers. Thanks again to S. Jozwiak and the President of the Office for their kind invitation.
- Chronique de l’affaire Belgacom/Scarlett – La fin de la récréation pour l’opérateur historique? – I wrote this paper with a former Howrey colleague, Ief Daems. The paper argues that the Belgian Competition Council has seemingly decided to follow a stronger enforcement policy in the telecoms sector. Yet, a number of flaws remain. In particular, it questions (i) wether the network divesture remedy imposed by the Council, and the conditions attached to it, are really effective; and (ii) the opportunity of allowing a State-owned company to acquire the business divested by Belgacom…
Dissertation Summaries (14) – LLM in IP and Competition Law 2009-2010
The Strategic Use of EU Competition Law: Typology and Assessment – Anne-Sophie Come (annesophie.come@gmail.com)
Legal affairs are no longer a “support” function for business entities. Firms increasingly rely on legal rules, proceedings and remedies, as strategic, profit maximising, levers. As a result of this evolution, firms increasingly seek to use (some say “instrumentalize”) the legal system in order to gain competitive advantages over/inflict competitive disadvantages to their rivals. In this context, it is the purpose of this dissertation to review the extent to which firms seek to use, and have used, EU competition law for strategic business reasons alien to the mere eradication of anticompetitive conduct in the market place. To this end, it provides a new reading of a number of well-known cases decided by the Commission and the Court of Justice.
Dissertation Summaries (13) – LLM in IP and Competition Law 2009-2010
Recent Antitrust News
- The Commission has opened a consultation process on Best practices in antitrust proceedings, submission of economic evidence and on a Hearing Officers’ guidance paper. This initiative should lead to the adoption of much welcome guidelines on competition proceedings.
- Congratulations to D. Geradin who has recently been appointed William W. Cook Global Law Professor at Michigan Law.
- R. H. Lande has posted the best and the worst AT developments of the last decade. Within the AT community Lande is a non-conformist. His views often spark controversy. Although I often disagree with his positions, I like the fact that Lande stands up to challenge the easy, and overly rehashed, “small antitrust” arguments that have influenced, and still heavily influence, antitrust scholarship.
- The EU Commissioners’ hearings at the European Parliament will be shown live online here this coming week. Almunia’s hearing will take place on Tuesday in Brussels, from 4:30 to 7:30 pm. I attach hereafter the answers prepared by Almunia to the written questionnaire of MEPs (word document): Answers to EP Questionnaire – Commissionner Designate Almunia
(Image possibly subject to copyrights: source here)
Dissertation Summaries (12) – LLM in IP and Competition Law 2009-2010
Dissertation Summaries (11) – LLM in IP and Competition Law 2009-2010
An Analysis of the Decision of the Commission of 12 may 2009 concerning RFID and Data Protection – Laurie Caucheteux (Laurie.Caucheteux@student.ulg.ac.be)
New Frontiers of Antitrust – 15 February 2010 – Paris
Whilst this blog does not intend to be a marketing platform for upcoming conferences, I must report that Concurrences invited me to talk at a most promising conference, which will take in Paris on 15 February 2010. The title of the conference is “New Frontiers of Antitrust“. To explore the new boundaries of competition enforcement, the organizers have chosen to focus on the following topics:
- Forthcoming US and EU enforcement agendas;
- Sector inquiries;
- Behavioural economics;
- Increased sanctions for antitrust infringements.
I have been asked to talk on sector inquiries. Most happy to receive comments, input, or any other idea in relation to this topic (in exchange, of course, for “first footnote” credit in the final version of my paper).
The programme can be downloaded below.
Dissertation Summaries (10) – LLM in IP and Competition Law 2009-2010
Green Technology Licenses: Strategies and Practices – Uliana Sylvia (S.Uliana@student.ulg.ac.be)
Chillin'Competition 
