The following is a selection of some important developments in German competition law and policy in 2024. It covers the latest legislative changes for hospital mergers, cases under special rules for digital gatekeepers, abuse of dominance, merger control, the sector inquiry into charging stations for e-vehicles, antitrust (cartels, vertical price fixing and horizontal cooperation) and…
In Denmark, the Danish Competition Council is the principal enforcer of competition law, with the Danish Competition and Consumer Authority acting as the day-to-day caretaker and rendering decisions in (minor) cases. Decisions made by either the Competition and Consumer Authority or the Competition Council may be appealed to the Danish Competition Appeals Board or the…
The power to conduct unannounced on-site inspections, commonly known as dawn raids, remains one of the most effective tools available to competition authorities in detecting anti-competitive practices. However, the digital transformation of business operations has introduced new complexities to these on-site inspections, particularly regarding the handling and preservation of electronic evidence. Recent decisions by the…
The ECN+ Directive had to be transposed into the national laws by 4 February 2021. Only five Member States (Germany, Hungary, Lithuania, Sweden, and the Netherlands) adopted their national implementing measures in time. On the date of this blog-post, Estonia remains as the only Member State that has not yet transposed the ECN+ Directive (see…
Introduction With 2024 now in hindsight, it is time to reflect on the developments in the Polish competition law landscape over the past year. It can be summarized as a continuation of activities of the Polish Competition Authority – President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK), based on previously developed frameworks, taking…
In June 2024, amendments to the Canadian Competition Act (Act) garnered significant attention (and often, criticism) from both business and legal communities in Canada for the introduction of new “greenwashing” provisions. The new provisions explicitly require businesses to substantiate claims made to Canadian consumers relating to the benefits of the business, business activities, products and/or…
In Tuesday’s judgment C-253/53 – ASG 2, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) provides some clarification on the compatibility of German rules restricting the fiduciary assignment of cartel damage claims to a provider of legal services with the principle of effectiveness and the right to effective judicial protection in EU law. The ECJ took a…
In comparison to the year prior, 2024 may have seemed a quiet time for Peruvian competition law, but it was not without important developments. Heralded worldwide as the “year of elections,” 2024 brought changes to the Peruvian competition agency (the National Institute for the Defense of Competition and the Protection of Intellectual Property, or INDECOPI,…
On 14 January 2025, the European Commission (“Commission”) published the findings of its first investigation under the EU’s International Procurement Instrument (“IPI”). Findings of the investigation concludes that China unfairly treated EU medical devices and suppliers in its public procurement.[1] The Chinese government did not contest these findings, but noted (accurately) that it had not…
With 2024 behind us, I look back at what were the main competition law developments in the Western Balkans, both when it comes to new legislation and the application of the current rules. A high level of merger control activity seems to be common for most of the region (except for Bosnia and Herzegovina), although…
