News
Recent developments in Lithuanian competition policy and enforcement: Gun Jumping, Interim Protection Measures, Online Marketplace Sector Inquiry and more
This article outlines the most important developments in Lithuanian competition policy which have taken place over the course of the summer 2023. Contrary to what may have been expected, Lithuanian Competition Council was very active during the hot summer months and...
Navigating the Irish Merger Landscape: Insights from the CCPC’s 2022 Annual Report
Introduction The Irish Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has released its annual report on merger control for the year 2022. - As well as being a busy year for Phase 2 mergers, 2022 marked the twentieth year of merger review under Part 3 of the...
Google News Showcase: Commitments prevent further action of German Federal Cartel Office
The German Federal Cartel Office (FCO) had been examining Google News Showcase (Showcase) since summer 2021, after Corint Media – a copyright collective management organization – brought an antitrust complaint against Google. Showcase is a news offering that gives...
The Brussels Court of Appeal confirms that the Belgian collecting society, SABAM, abused its dominant position by excessively increasing its tariffs in 2017
On 7 September 2022, the Brussels Court of Appeal confirmed that SABAM, the Belgian Association of Authors, Composers and Publishers, abused its dominant position in violation of Article IV.2 of the Belgian Code of Economic Law (“CEL”), Article 102 of the Treaty on...
DUTCH COMPETITION AUTHORITY: COUNTERING ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES DOES NOT RESTRICT COMPETITION
In a letter dated 2 September 2022 (Guidance), the Dutch Competition Authority (ACM) informally assessed the initiative of the Dutch Horticultural Branche Organisation (TBNL) to counter the use of illegal pesticides in the horticultural sector (Initiative). According...
Parity obligations and the new UK vertical agreements block exemption
Introduction This note highlights a key change introduced by the new UK competition law block exemption for vertical agreements in relation to the treatment of parity obligations. Background Vertical agreements are agreements between businesses that operate at a...
ATA Merger Control Project
The Antitrust Alliance provides an ATA Merger Control Project, the outline of merger control rules in every and all ATA member jurisdictions. Please feel free to download and review it, and to approach the ATA and its respective member firms with any questions,...
Spain’s National Commission for Markets and Competition (CNMC: Spanish acronyms for Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia) has issued an Information Bulletin regarding the government-approved subsidy on a litre of petrol and its transfer to the consumer.
Background information: The Spanish government, through Royal Decree-Law 6/2022, establishes that service stations will receive a rebate of 20-euro cents per litre of fuel, which will be returned to them by the Administration. This obligation was initially established...
Spain’s National Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC: Spanish acronyms for Comisión Nacional de los Mercados y la Competencia) has imposed a fine of 203.6 million euros on six of Spain’s leading construction companies for altering the competitive process in infrastructure construction tenders for more than 25 years.
Background information: Since 1992, the companies Acciona Construcción, S.A., Dragados, S.A., FCC Construcción, Ferrovial Construcción, Obrascón Huarte Lain, S.A. and Sacyr Construcción, S.A. met weekly, analyzed and decided on the public contract tenders in which...