Competition law Blog

Official Blog of the European Competition and Regulatory Law Review (CoRe)

On a weekly basis Phedon Nicolaides posts critical analysis pieces on the latest State aid judgments and decisions on his blog State Aid Uncovered. Each article presents the main points of a court ruling or Commission‘s decision, places them in the context of similar case law or practice, assesses the underlying reasoning, and identifies any inconsistencies or contradictions.
Occasional guest blog posts by other State aid experts complement the State aid knowledge hub.

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Features ×

4. July 2019  |   Features by Rita Paukste

Audit and consulting services sector to face ‘unbundling’ by competition laws?
office table, laptops, papers
Lately in Europe, international accounting and consulting firms have been facing a number of legal issues due to infringements of audit, finance and competition laws. After a market study, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has published proposals for improvements in the auditing sector; among them, legislative amendments to split up auditing from consulting services. This ‘unbundling’ of activities will […]
read more
No Comments
26. June 2019  |   Features by Daniel Mandrescu

The return of the MFN clauses – platform ranking as an enforcement mechanism for price parity
Competition Blogs - glenn carstens peters npxXWgQ33ZQ unsplash
The MFN cases of the past few years have delivered a series of uncoordinated cases that created a fragmented approach towards MFN clauses. Nowadays it would appear that there is a growing consensus in Europe that wide MFN clauses should be prohibited which, also led major platform like Expedia to abandon these pricing strategies. The recent claim put forward by […]
read more
No Comments
14. June 2019  |   Features by Friso Bostoen

U.S. antitrust agencies divide jurisdiction over Big Tech and single out Google for investigation
Competition Blogs - kai wenzel 06MHFfYv6YY unsplash
Last year, I wrote about how the United States considers boarding the tech regulation train that has been racing through Europe. It seems that they have now taken another decisive step in that direction: the U.S. antitrust agencies have agreed that the Department of Justice (DOJ) will oversee investigations of Google and Apple, while the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is responsible for antitrust […]
read more
No Comments
5. June 2019  |   Features by Rita Paukste

Collusive conduct in financial instruments trading: a look at the issues of dealing via chatrooms
Competition Blogs - priscilla du preez BjhUu6BpUZA unsplash
Following the benchmark currency rate manipulation scandal, the banking sector has had no chance to restore their reputation. Lately, major EU banks have been having competition law issues because of their traders’ collusive behaviour in the bond and global foreign exchange (FX) markets. Two Statements of Objections concerning bond cartels and collusive conduct by certain traders have been issued recently […]
read more
No Comments
14. May 2019  |   Features by Daniel Mandrescu

App stores and (potential) abuses of dominance – an opportunity to reshape competition law enforcement in digital markets
smartphone menu
During the past few weeks the number of complaints against Apple’s practices concerning the App Store has not gone unnoticed. While previous complaints by unhappy developers were perceived as isolated cases it would seem that now the flood gates have been opened, and the stream is primarily targeting Apple. In Europe, this development has been given quite some media coverage […]
read more
No Comments
2. May 2019  |   Features by Virgilio Pereira

Are settlement proceedings the poor relation of EU antitrust policy?
calculator
Leniency and settlement policies are crucial antitrust enforcement tools. They reward defendants’ cooperation and seek to reinforce effectiveness in law enforcement by replacing a non-cooperative equilibrium with a more cooperative dynamic between defendants and competition enforcers. As recently acknowledged by the OECD, settlements are picking up, and becoming an essential aspect of antitrust enforcement. Accordingly, a significant challenge of every leniency […]
read more
No Comments
24. April 2019  |   Features by Friso Bostoen

Spotify lodges antitrust complaint against Apple: it’s ‘time to play fair’ in the music streaming industry
Competition Blogs - sara kurfess wXU9yeANElg unsplash
On March 13th, Spotify filed a formal antitrust complaint against Apple with the European Commission (EC). In the complaint, Spotify alleges that Apple has been using its App Store to impede Spotify’s competitive potential to the advantage of Apple Music—its biggest competitor in the music streaming business. In what follows, I quickly examine the contentious history between Spotify and Apple before surveying […]
read more
No Comments
11. April 2019  |   Features by Damiela Cardoso

The principle of personal liability in the context of private enforcement: is there anything new under the sun?
Competition Blogs - christian dubovan Y x747Yshlw unsplash
On March 14th, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) issued a ruling on a private enforcement case and lifted the veil of some of the unsettled and non-harmonised issues the Damages Directive failed to tackle. They can be shortly summarised in the following questions: who should be liable for antitrust damages and how can such liability be effectively enforced? On February […]
read more
No Comments
5. March 2019  |   Features by Simen Klevstrand

Minority acquisition headed for first prohibition in Norway
Competition Blogs - bernard hermant zqx58cvjR5A unsplash
By Marianne Henne Møller and Simen Klevstrand, Haavind (Norway) The Norwegian Competition Authority (the “NCA”) has warned Sector Alarm Group AS that its acquisition of a non-controlling stake in a competitor may be blocked. Unless the parties are able to resolve the NCA’s concerns by 29 March, they face the first prohibition of a minority acquisition under Norway’s 2004 Competition […]
read more
No Comments
18. February 2019  |   Features by Friso Bostoen

When competition law met data protection: the Bundeskartellamt’s Facebook decision
Competition Blogs - kon karampelas HUBofEFQ6CA unsplash
On February 6th, the German Competition Authority (Bundeskartellamt or BKA) adopted its long-awaited Facebook decision, imposing far-reaching restrictions on how the social network can collect and process user data. This decision follows a preliminary assessment that the BKA published in December 2017, which this blog discussed at length. The BKA’s decision—as set out in a case summary and background paper—sticks closely to its preliminary assessment. In this blog post, […]
read more
No Comments
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Anja Naumann

Blog Editor

LL.M., PhD, currently legal trainee at the Higher Regional Court of Berlin.

>> Anja’s CoRe Blog posts >>

Daniel Mandrescu
Blog editor Assistant Professor EU competition law, Europa Institute, Leiden University >> Daniel's CoRe blog posts >>
Friso Bostoen

Blog Editor

Assistant Professor of Competition Law and Digital Regulation, Tilburg University

Friso Bostoen is an assistant professor of competition law and digital regulation at Tilburg University. Previously, he was a Max Weber Fellow at the European University Institute. He holds degrees from KU Leuven (PhD, LLM) and Harvard University (LLM). Friso’s research focuses on antitrust enforcement in digital markets. His work has resulted in numerous international publications, presentations, and awards (including the AdC Competition Policy Award 2019 and the Concurrences PhD Award 2022). In addition, Friso edits the CoRe Blog and hosts the Monopoly Attack podcast.

>> Friso’s CoRe Blog posts >>

Nelly Stratieva

Head of Editorial Department and Data Protection Officer

Responsible for EStAL (European State Aid Law Quarterly), EPPPL (European Public Private Partnership Law Review) and CoRe (European Competition and Regulatory Law Review). Overseeing Lexxion Publisher’s privacy and data protection compliance.

Parsa Tonkaboni
Picture Rita Paukste
Rita Paukste

Former Blog Editor

Senior Associate, Motieka & Audzevicius PLP, Vilnius

>> Rita’s CoRe Blog posts >>

Features ×

4. July 2019  |   Features by Rita Paukste

Audit and consulting services sector to face ‘unbundling’ by competition laws?
office table, laptops, papers
Lately in Europe, international accounting and consulting firms have been facing a number of legal issues due to infringements of audit, finance and competition laws. After a market study, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has published proposals for improvements in the auditing sector; among them, legislative amendments to split up auditing from consulting services. This ‘unbundling’ of activities will […]
read more
No Comments
26. June 2019  |   Features by Daniel Mandrescu

The return of the MFN clauses – platform ranking as an enforcement mechanism for price parity
Competition Blogs - glenn carstens peters npxXWgQ33ZQ unsplash
The MFN cases of the past few years have delivered a series of uncoordinated cases that created a fragmented approach towards MFN clauses. Nowadays it would appear that there is a growing consensus in Europe that wide MFN clauses should be prohibited which, also led major platform like Expedia to abandon these pricing strategies. The recent claim put forward by […]
read more
No Comments
14. June 2019  |   Features by Friso Bostoen

U.S. antitrust agencies divide jurisdiction over Big Tech and single out Google for investigation
Competition Blogs - kai wenzel 06MHFfYv6YY unsplash
Last year, I wrote about how the United States considers boarding the tech regulation train that has been racing through Europe. It seems that they have now taken another decisive step in that direction: the U.S. antitrust agencies have agreed that the Department of Justice (DOJ) will oversee investigations of Google and Apple, while the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is responsible for antitrust […]
read more
No Comments
5. June 2019  |   Features by Rita Paukste

Collusive conduct in financial instruments trading: a look at the issues of dealing via chatrooms
Competition Blogs - priscilla du preez BjhUu6BpUZA unsplash
Following the benchmark currency rate manipulation scandal, the banking sector has had no chance to restore their reputation. Lately, major EU banks have been having competition law issues because of their traders’ collusive behaviour in the bond and global foreign exchange (FX) markets. Two Statements of Objections concerning bond cartels and collusive conduct by certain traders have been issued recently […]
read more
No Comments
14. May 2019  |   Features by Daniel Mandrescu

App stores and (potential) abuses of dominance – an opportunity to reshape competition law enforcement in digital markets
smartphone menu
During the past few weeks the number of complaints against Apple’s practices concerning the App Store has not gone unnoticed. While previous complaints by unhappy developers were perceived as isolated cases it would seem that now the flood gates have been opened, and the stream is primarily targeting Apple. In Europe, this development has been given quite some media coverage […]
read more
No Comments
2. May 2019  |   Features by Virgilio Pereira

Are settlement proceedings the poor relation of EU antitrust policy?
calculator
Leniency and settlement policies are crucial antitrust enforcement tools. They reward defendants’ cooperation and seek to reinforce effectiveness in law enforcement by replacing a non-cooperative equilibrium with a more cooperative dynamic between defendants and competition enforcers. As recently acknowledged by the OECD, settlements are picking up, and becoming an essential aspect of antitrust enforcement. Accordingly, a significant challenge of every leniency […]
read more
No Comments
24. April 2019  |   Features by Friso Bostoen

Spotify lodges antitrust complaint against Apple: it’s ‘time to play fair’ in the music streaming industry
Competition Blogs - sara kurfess wXU9yeANElg unsplash
On March 13th, Spotify filed a formal antitrust complaint against Apple with the European Commission (EC). In the complaint, Spotify alleges that Apple has been using its App Store to impede Spotify’s competitive potential to the advantage of Apple Music—its biggest competitor in the music streaming business. In what follows, I quickly examine the contentious history between Spotify and Apple before surveying […]
read more
No Comments
11. April 2019  |   Features by Damiela Cardoso

The principle of personal liability in the context of private enforcement: is there anything new under the sun?
Competition Blogs - christian dubovan Y x747Yshlw unsplash
On March 14th, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) issued a ruling on a private enforcement case and lifted the veil of some of the unsettled and non-harmonised issues the Damages Directive failed to tackle. They can be shortly summarised in the following questions: who should be liable for antitrust damages and how can such liability be effectively enforced? On February […]
read more
No Comments
5. March 2019  |   Features by Simen Klevstrand

Minority acquisition headed for first prohibition in Norway
Competition Blogs - bernard hermant zqx58cvjR5A unsplash
By Marianne Henne Møller and Simen Klevstrand, Haavind (Norway) The Norwegian Competition Authority (the “NCA”) has warned Sector Alarm Group AS that its acquisition of a non-controlling stake in a competitor may be blocked. Unless the parties are able to resolve the NCA’s concerns by 29 March, they face the first prohibition of a minority acquisition under Norway’s 2004 Competition […]
read more
No Comments
18. February 2019  |   Features by Friso Bostoen

When competition law met data protection: the Bundeskartellamt’s Facebook decision
Competition Blogs - kon karampelas HUBofEFQ6CA unsplash
On February 6th, the German Competition Authority (Bundeskartellamt or BKA) adopted its long-awaited Facebook decision, imposing far-reaching restrictions on how the social network can collect and process user data. This decision follows a preliminary assessment that the BKA published in December 2017, which this blog discussed at length. The BKA’s decision—as set out in a case summary and background paper—sticks closely to its preliminary assessment. In this blog post, […]
read more
No Comments
« Previous PageNext Page »

Features ×

4. July 2019  |   Features by Rita Paukste

Audit and consulting services sector to face ‘unbundling’ by competition laws?
office table, laptops, papers
Lately in Europe, international accounting and consulting firms have been facing a number of legal issues due to infringements of audit, finance and competition laws. After a market study, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has published proposals for improvements in the auditing sector; among them, legislative amendments to split up auditing from consulting services. This ‘unbundling’ of activities will […]
read more
No Comments
26. June 2019  |   Features by Daniel Mandrescu

The return of the MFN clauses – platform ranking as an enforcement mechanism for price parity
Competition Blogs - glenn carstens peters npxXWgQ33ZQ unsplash
The MFN cases of the past few years have delivered a series of uncoordinated cases that created a fragmented approach towards MFN clauses. Nowadays it would appear that there is a growing consensus in Europe that wide MFN clauses should be prohibited which, also led major platform like Expedia to abandon these pricing strategies. The recent claim put forward by […]
read more
No Comments
14. June 2019  |   Features by Friso Bostoen

U.S. antitrust agencies divide jurisdiction over Big Tech and single out Google for investigation
Competition Blogs - kai wenzel 06MHFfYv6YY unsplash
Last year, I wrote about how the United States considers boarding the tech regulation train that has been racing through Europe. It seems that they have now taken another decisive step in that direction: the U.S. antitrust agencies have agreed that the Department of Justice (DOJ) will oversee investigations of Google and Apple, while the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is responsible for antitrust […]
read more
No Comments
5. June 2019  |   Features by Rita Paukste

Collusive conduct in financial instruments trading: a look at the issues of dealing via chatrooms
Competition Blogs - priscilla du preez BjhUu6BpUZA unsplash
Following the benchmark currency rate manipulation scandal, the banking sector has had no chance to restore their reputation. Lately, major EU banks have been having competition law issues because of their traders’ collusive behaviour in the bond and global foreign exchange (FX) markets. Two Statements of Objections concerning bond cartels and collusive conduct by certain traders have been issued recently […]
read more
No Comments
14. May 2019  |   Features by Daniel Mandrescu

App stores and (potential) abuses of dominance – an opportunity to reshape competition law enforcement in digital markets
smartphone menu
During the past few weeks the number of complaints against Apple’s practices concerning the App Store has not gone unnoticed. While previous complaints by unhappy developers were perceived as isolated cases it would seem that now the flood gates have been opened, and the stream is primarily targeting Apple. In Europe, this development has been given quite some media coverage […]
read more
No Comments
2. May 2019  |   Features by Virgilio Pereira

Are settlement proceedings the poor relation of EU antitrust policy?
calculator
Leniency and settlement policies are crucial antitrust enforcement tools. They reward defendants’ cooperation and seek to reinforce effectiveness in law enforcement by replacing a non-cooperative equilibrium with a more cooperative dynamic between defendants and competition enforcers. As recently acknowledged by the OECD, settlements are picking up, and becoming an essential aspect of antitrust enforcement. Accordingly, a significant challenge of every leniency […]
read more
No Comments
24. April 2019  |   Features by Friso Bostoen

Spotify lodges antitrust complaint against Apple: it’s ‘time to play fair’ in the music streaming industry
Competition Blogs - sara kurfess wXU9yeANElg unsplash
On March 13th, Spotify filed a formal antitrust complaint against Apple with the European Commission (EC). In the complaint, Spotify alleges that Apple has been using its App Store to impede Spotify’s competitive potential to the advantage of Apple Music—its biggest competitor in the music streaming business. In what follows, I quickly examine the contentious history between Spotify and Apple before surveying […]
read more
No Comments
11. April 2019  |   Features by Damiela Cardoso

The principle of personal liability in the context of private enforcement: is there anything new under the sun?
Competition Blogs - christian dubovan Y x747Yshlw unsplash
On March 14th, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) issued a ruling on a private enforcement case and lifted the veil of some of the unsettled and non-harmonised issues the Damages Directive failed to tackle. They can be shortly summarised in the following questions: who should be liable for antitrust damages and how can such liability be effectively enforced? On February […]
read more
No Comments
5. March 2019  |   Features by Simen Klevstrand

Minority acquisition headed for first prohibition in Norway
Competition Blogs - bernard hermant zqx58cvjR5A unsplash
By Marianne Henne Møller and Simen Klevstrand, Haavind (Norway) The Norwegian Competition Authority (the “NCA”) has warned Sector Alarm Group AS that its acquisition of a non-controlling stake in a competitor may be blocked. Unless the parties are able to resolve the NCA’s concerns by 29 March, they face the first prohibition of a minority acquisition under Norway’s 2004 Competition […]
read more
No Comments
18. February 2019  |   Features by Friso Bostoen

When competition law met data protection: the Bundeskartellamt’s Facebook decision
Competition Blogs - kon karampelas HUBofEFQ6CA unsplash
On February 6th, the German Competition Authority (Bundeskartellamt or BKA) adopted its long-awaited Facebook decision, imposing far-reaching restrictions on how the social network can collect and process user data. This decision follows a preliminary assessment that the BKA published in December 2017, which this blog discussed at length. The BKA’s decision—as set out in a case summary and background paper—sticks closely to its preliminary assessment. In this blog post, […]
read more
No Comments
« Previous PageNext Page »

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