Goodbye
It is time to say farewell. It was fun while it lasted. We did our best to come up with different angles, sometime serious, sometimes purportedly fun. But after 5 few years and many posts, we have run out of interesting things to say. We started this jokingly and improvising, but it now feels like an obligation, people expect something, but we need to focus our time on other things. We very much hope you will understand.
Indeed, as sad as it may be, after the CJEU’s ruling from yesterday. the endives case is now over. It gave us much food for thought and bad puns, but it is time to move on and discuss other competition issues. Farewell, endives. The blog will continue without you.
If you ask us, these were our highlights (we just had a good laught while re-reading them): see here for the first post, here for an example of how the blog fostered collaborative thinking, here for a hoax that some took seriously, here for a discussion on enforcement menus, here for a post that I hope will be forgotten and, for a change, here for a more serious comment.
And speaking of food, Commissioner Vestager was kind enough to mention the Syrian lunch served at the Chillin’Competition conference in her Wired interview a few days ago (check it out at minute 28). If you want to follow her advice, you only need to contact our friends at weexistngo@gmail.com
P.S. The immediate reactions to this post by email and Twitter have confirmed what we suspected: the people who say like this blog the most are the ones who don’t really read what we write! 😉 This natural experiment confirms the latest press reports on people sharing links based only on headlines and excerpts
Chillin'Competition 
Alfonso, Pablo – this is sad news, though completely understandable. Let me much thank you for all your efforts and great contribution in improving the understanding, interpretation and application of antitrust and related case-law. I will continue to follow you and Pablo whenever I’ll have the chance. BTW, is Pablo quitting the blog as well?
Enzo Marasà
15 November 2017 at 12:00 pm
Oh…it was just a farewell to the Endive case…pffff
Enzo Marasà
15 November 2017 at 12:03 pm
😉 But thanks!
Alfonso Lamadrid
15 November 2017 at 12:07 pm
This was the most influential outlet in EU Competition law. It was sharp, interesting and fun. Congratulations and all the best. You should be proud. I know for a fact that your writings have at times been key in developing the case law in recent years.
Koen
15 November 2017 at 12:05 pm
Thanks so much, Koen, but please read the full post!
Alfonso Lamadrid
15 November 2017 at 12:07 pm
I have to admit that the headline and first paragraph might lead some to believe that the blog will be discontinued. But yes, I can see that the blog will continue without endives. But is this fair? The French Supreme Court still has to rule on the case! And what about Macron’s call for farmers to group together in producer organizations in the next five years? This is still a hot story to follow!
Matthew Newman
15 November 2017 at 1:41 pm
You will leave a big gap. Serious and insightful commentary leavened by self deprecatory wit. Very best Tom Sharpe
Thomas Sharpe QC One Essex Court Temple London EC4Y 9AR 020 7583 2000
Thomas Sharpe
15 November 2017 at 3:31 pm
I’m sad to see the blog go, but thank you for your fantastic efforts through the past 5 years. I actually DO need the blog — I’m not well-versed in EU law and could always turn here to figure out the context for events. It’s been a wonderful source of information, and I’ve enjoyed being able to remotely pick your brains through these years.
Eleanor Tyler
15 November 2017 at 3:50 pm
No fair! I can’t see this morning because I went to the eye doctor. Now I increased the print and see you were teasing. Just as well!! I can continue coming here for teasing and for chilling.
Eleanor Tyler
15 November 2017 at 3:53 pm
😉
Alfonso Lamadrid
15 November 2017 at 3:56 pm