European Commission

European Commission, European Union, Mergers

, (McDermott Will & Emery)/ /Leave a comment

Between 2012 and 2013, Marine Harvest ASA (“Marine Harvest”), a Norwegian seafood company, acquired Morpol ASA (“Morpol”), a Norwegian producer and processor of salmon. Marine Harvest notified the transaction to the European Commission under the European Union’s Merger Regulation (“EUMR”), but implemented it prior to the European Commission having granted clearance. The European Commission imposed…

European Commission, State aid

(University of Turku and United Nations)/ /1 Comment

While recent upheavals in global politics have shifted attention far from international taxation matters, the state aid case against Apple continues to fuel intense debates on both sides of the Atlantic. Before we delve deeper into the latest developments of a discourse that has the potential to shape the future of multinational structures, IP licensing,…

Cartels, European Commission

(Sidley Austin LLP)/ /Leave a comment

Being a policeman is a difficult job at the best of times. Suspects inevitably think that they are innocent and resent the perceived unjustified intrusion on their law-abiding activities. At least the policeman can take some satisfaction from looking the victim in the eye and knowing that they have improved that person’s lot. One may…

European Commission, European Union

(Norton Rose Fulbright, Belgium)/ /1 Comment

On September 13, the European Commission (Commission) proposed a regulation creating a new framework for screening foreign direct investments into the European Union (EU).  The proposal would address the potential for divergence among existing Member State screening mechanisms and create a new oversight role for the Commission itself.  The framework could affect acquisitions in a…

European Commission, European Union, Mergers, Spain

(Sidley Austin LLP)/ /Leave a comment

The financial crisis led to the bail out of several banks which were considered to be “too big to fail.” Considering the costs of those bail outs for the European taxpayer and in view of the importance of financial stability for the proper functioning of the EU’s internal market, the EU institutions created a new…

European Commission

, , (Jones Day)/ /Leave a comment

In April 2017, the European Commission (“Commission”) published a tender offer seeking an assessment of the EU market for loan syndication and possible implications under EU competition rules. The successful candidate will draft a report providing an overview of the market and the relevant elements that the Commission may use for assessing the competitive environment…

European Commission

(Norton Rose Fulbright, Belgium)/ /Leave a comment

On May 10, 2017, the European Commission published the final report on its sector inquiry on competition in the e-commerce sector (the E-Commerce Report) and a mid-term review of its digital single market (DSM) initiative (the DSM Review), both of which were originally announced in May 2015. The E-Commerce Report confirms that the Commission has…

European Commission

(University of Antwerp)/ /Leave a comment

On 22 March 2017, the European Commission issued a proposal for a Directive to empower the competition authorities of the Member States to be more effective enforcers and to ensure the proper functioning of the internal market. The proposed Directive, if adopted, would entail the most significant reform of the antitrust rules in the European…

Antitrust, Cartels, European Commission

(Baker Botts), , , (Hogan Lovells), and (White & Case, Belgium)/ /Leave a comment

The European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager has emphasised two important developments for EU antitrust enforcement, which have emerged from technological advancements: The Commission is taking proactive steps to consider whether the increasing reliance on computers to handle business processes and decisions raises competition law issues.  One area of current concern is the use of algorithms, in…

Brexit, Competition, Europe, European Commission, European Court of Justice, European Union, Mergers

(Baker McKenzie, Belgium)/ /Leave a comment

We live in a rapidly changing world. The monikers of change are well known to all of us. Trump. Brexit. Eddie Jones. The future is unpredictable. As Joe Cocker sang, “who knows what tomorrow brings”? But let’s climb aboard Elon Musk’s innovative SpaceX Falcon 9 for a moment. Let me take you to another world….