Cartels and Restrictive Agreements Cases Construction Cartel In 2024, the Cartel Court imposed several significant fines on additional construction companies for their participation in a nationwide cartel in the Austrian construction sector. The cartel is believed to have had a duration of more than 15 years from at least July 2002 to October 2017 and…
In 2024, Slovak competition law continued to evolve, building on the developments in the previous year. The new leadership (the new chairman and vice-chairman were appointed in 2023), the Antimonopoly Office (AMO) has appeared to be remain committed to its stated goal of transforming itself to a more proactive and dynamic competition authority. The AMO’s…
2024 was characterised by the BCA’s dedication to boost transparency in its operations and investigations through the publication of its expert opinions to Belgian Courts and legislators. The BCA remained a steady player within the EU competition enforcement landscape in 2024 with an active enforcement track record and important sector inquiries. Even if slightly less…
The year 2024 was eventful one for Czech competition law. Below, we provide an overview of the key developments that took place, starting with anticompetitive agreements – a traditional focus of the Czech Competition Authority (CCA). We also cover mergers and the abuse of dominance and then provide a summary of the key policy changes…
Introduction In 2024, the Netherlands Authority for Consumer & Markets (“ACM”) in the Netherlands made some steps in shaping the landscape of competition law and policy. The year was marked by a series of impactful initiatives and enforcement activities aimed at encouraging a sustainable economy, promoting a fair digital economy, and accelerating the energy transition….
Significant competition law developments emerged in Chile during 2024. While this summary does not provide a detailed description of how Chile’s competition enforcement system operates (for that, please refer to the previous series), it is important to recall that the Chilean system involves the intervention of three authorities: Fiscalía Nacional Económica (“FNE”): its main powers…
2024 marked the 10th year since the Georgian Competition and Consumer Agency (GCCA or Agency) started operating as an independent competition enforcer. Created to satisfy an obligation under the 2014 EU-Georgia Association Agreement on maintaining “an authority responsible and appropriately equipped for the effective enforcement of the competition laws”[1] this enforcer has undergone significant transformation…
In recent years, one could have argued that merger control dominated Estonia’s competition enforcement landscape, with high-profile cases setting precedents. However, 2024 painted a different picture. Merger control did not generate the same level of excitement or controversy as in previous years. Instead, the year will likely be remembered for heated debates surrounding legislative proposals,…
Introduction and Summary As we move forward from 2024, it is time to reflect on last year’s main developments within Swedish competition law. The Swedish Competition Authority (the “SCA”) has been busy with merger reviews, including a significant case before the Patent and Market Courts. Also, the SCA’s record fine for alleged resale price maintenance…
Below we cover the main competition law developments in Spain in 2024, concerning (i) institutions and legislation, (ii) antitrust, (iii) mergers and (iv) State aid. Institutions and Legislation Teresa Ribera Joins the European Commission as Executive Vice-President and Commissioner for Competition On 27 November 2024, the European Parliament confirmed Teresa Ribera as the Executive…
