Competition/antitrust

Recent Articles

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  17/04/2024

  EU

  EU Commission enforces obligation to provide correct and complete information in merger control proceedings

  EU merger control law provides for an obligation of the parties to provide correct and complete information in merger control proceedings. This obligation has a very high relevance for the European Commission, as latest enforcement activities demonstrate. On 19 March 2024, the European Commission sent a Statement of Objections to an insulation panels maker alleging that the company provided incorrect, incomplete and misleading information during merger control proceedings for the company's planned acquisition of a mineral fibre sandwich panel producer.These investigations of the European Commission...

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  15/04/2024

  Poland

  Poland issues new guidelines on penalties for competition law infringements for capital groups

  PL

  The Polish Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) passed guidelines in April, which makes important changes to how penalties are calculated for companies in Poland. The guidelines are especially important for companies that are part of capital operating internationally.Based on these guidelines, which will apply to all anti-trust cases initiated place after 1 January 2024, penalties could reach in practice the maximum level of up to 10% of worldwide turnover and could be considerably higher and more severe than in the past.BackgroundIn May 2023, an amendment to the Competition and...

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  08/04/2024

  Hungary

  Hungary proposes ex-ante competition tool to regulate essential companies

  On 2 April 2024, the Hungarian Ministry of Justice submitted an omnibus act to the Hungarian parliament proposing the amendment of several Hungarian laws, including the Competition Act. This Proposal’s most noteworthy element is – based on the German example – expanding the Hungarian Competition Authority’s (HCA) toolbox by introducing a new ex-ante regime enabling the HCA to impose obligations on certain companies without first having to demonstrate a violation of the law.This following article summarises the Proposal’s new rules, potential consequences and next steps.PROPOSED...

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  03/04/2024

  Ukraine

  Register of Damage for Ukraine is open for claims submission

  On 2 April 2024, the Register of Damage for Ukraine opened the claims submission process for compensation for damage, loss or injury caused by Russian aggression against Ukraine. The launch took place as part of the Ministerial Conference "Restoring Justice for Ukraine" co-hosted by the Netherlands, Ukraine and the European Commission at the World Forum in The Hague.As a reminder, the official website of the Register of Damage for Ukraine was launched on 4 March 2024. The website contains the following:documents governing the work of the Register;answers to frequently asked questions on the Register’s...

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  27/03/2024

  Czech Republic

  New antitrust tools in the Czech Republic – the Antimonopoly Office requests new powers

  At the request of the Czech Government, the Antimonopoly Office (the Office) has prepared a proposal for potential legislative changes. These changes are designed to enhance the Office's effectiveness in uncovering and penalising anticompetitive conduct while fostering market competition. Some of the proposed measures include accessing telephone locations, conducting fishing expeditions, and prohibiting mergers of competitors that do not to meet turnover criteria.New tools to fight oligopoly marketsThe Office can now intervene in markets where competition is distorted, e.g. by cartel agreements,...

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  21/03/2024

  United Kingdom

  Proposed UK consumer legislation now clamps down on drip pricing and fake reviews

  The draft Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill (the “DMCC Bill”) has recently been amended (on 13 March 2024) following the Report stage in the House of Lords to include measures that prohibit drip pricing and address fake and misleading reviews. The 3rd reading in the House of Lords will take place from 26 March 2024. The updated DMCC Bill now includes prohibitions on drip pricing, a practice that involves adding unavoidable hidden fees to the advertised price of a product or service. As the Government notes, drip pricing can mean consumers are ‘baited’...

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