Prof. Jacques Bourgeois is on this week’s Friday Slot. A few words about Jacques are in order. I first met him as a student at the College of Europe. He was presenting his seminar during the “beauty context” shopping week, when students select their options. I was impressed, so impressed that I did not chose the seminar, for fear of not being up to the challenge. Jacques seemed a somewhat demanding Professor for the continental student I was, navigating with increasing ease in competition and trade law matters, requesting active student participation, and professing in beautiful English.

Our paths crossed again 8 years after, when I started as the executive secretary of the GCLC. We worked together for several years. In my short career I have had the immense chance to meet very many professionals. Yet, I have rarely seen a lawyer with a such mastery of social skills and management capabilities. Jacques is the kind of person who can turn a tense meeting with irritated attendees into a relaxed, and possibly funny, event. This is maybe why everyone in the business likes him, and why we at Chillin’Competition like him so much. Thanks to him for having taken the time to answer our questions. 

“Oscar” of the best competition law book? Non-competition book?

In the competition law field, I praise the book of David Gerber: Law and Competition in Twentieth Century Europe. Protecting Prometheus (Oxford University Press, 2001)

Out of the antitrust world, but still related to the legal field, John Rawls’ A Theory of Justice (Belknap, 1971) is a must.

 “Oscar” of the best case-law development in the past year? “Oscar” of the worst case-law development? 

In my opinion, the CJEU made a great job in Confédération européenne des associations d’horlogers-réparateurs (CEAHR) v European Commission (CJEU, 15 December 2010, Case T-427/08).

On the contrary, I am very critical towards the Alrosa ruling (CJEU, European Commission v Alrosa, Case C‑441/07 P).

Let’s do it like economists => assume that you could change 3 rules, principles, judgments, institutions in the current EU competition system. What would you do?

The one reform that I would organize in priority: that fines be decided upon by a court of law.

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