In recent years European Community (EC) competition law has come under fire. Continued criticism of all aspects of the means by which EC competition law is enforced has brought to light ineffectiveness of the present system. Consequently the European Commission has responded by issuing the "White Paper on Modernisation",which sets out its vision on the future of EC competition law. This new book takes a step back, and tries to understand the current challenges to EC competition policy by examining the origins of the Community's competition law system. In the first part of the book the author sketches the development of Community competition law enforcement between the European Economic Community, established in 1958, and the European Union of today. Taking this dynamic perspective on EC competition law, the second part of the book addresses topical problems of EC competition policy; the pertinent objectives, the institutional framework, the division of jurisdiction between the Community and Member States, and decentralised enforcement of Community law. Notably, the author's conclusions diverge considerably from the analysis found in the Commission White Paper on Modernisation. The author proposes various alternative solutions to the existing problems which, arguably, fit better within the overall constitutional development of the Community than the solutions offered by the Commission. The book will be of interest to competition lawyers as well as to all those interested in the constitutional development of the European Community.

'The contributions in this collection comprehensively review key issues concerning the respective roles of national and EU courts in enforcing competition and state aid law, and the relationship between court and arbitration proceedings in those fields. This groundbreaking work provides a stimulating and up-to-date analysis of the EU's decentralized enforcement system and I strongly recommend it to both scholars and practitioners. It will assist them in promoting the proper application of competition law in that institutionally complex and multi-level environment.' - Judge Jose Luis da Cruz Vilaca, The Court of Justice of the European Union, Luxembourg With courts and arbitrators functioning daily as front line decision-makers applying EU competition law, this book reflects on a variety of issues related to the litigation and arbitration of cases in this field. It provides expert analysis from perspectives of substance, procedure, fundamental rights, as well as inter-institutional dialogue and coherence. Featuring a range of scholarly contributions, the essays address topics including the 2014 EU 'Damages Directive', now in force and being implemented; the EU's tepid reception of the 'collective redress' concept; a range of issues concerning state aid law; the arbitrability of competition law issues, as well as many other matters related to arbitration in this context such as judicial review of arbitral awards from a competition law perspective, and the interplay between arbitral proceedings and competition agency investigations. With its wide coverage, this book serves as a valuable resource for any reader working on EU competition law, whether for the purpose of teaching or studying the law, or of practicing in this field as a lawyer, public official, judge or arbitrator. Contributors: A. Adinolfi, L. Bergamini, G. Biagioni, G. Blanke, R. Cisotta, D. Gallo, E. Gambaro, A. Geulette, S. Keske, M. Marquis, F. Munari, R. Nazzini, L.F. Pace, K. Peci, S. Peyer, M. Siragusa

The growing use of private labels in recent years has affected significantly the landscape of retail competition, with major retailers no longer being confined to their traditional role as purchasers and distributors of branded goods. By selling their own-label products within their outlets they are competing with their upstream brand suppliers for sales and shelf space. This unique relationship, and the continued strengthening of private labels, raises important questions as to their pro-competitive effects and possible negative effects.
This book provides an in-depth review of the range of competitive and intellectual property issues raised in connection with private brands in Europe and the US. It examines the development of private labels and their impact on retail competition, then moves on to focus on policy and questions the adequacy of current economic and legal analysis in light of the characteristics of own-label competition, and finally it presents a thorough evaluation of the legal issues in the field, including chapters on horizontal and vertical effects, dominance, mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property, copycat packaging and consumer welfare.
The book contains a collection of essays reflecting the debate on the impact of private labels upon competition, investment and innovation in the retail sector. The ideas and arguments underlying the articles have been developed through a series of seminars held in the Oxford Centre for Competition Law and Policy over the last three years. Participants in these seminars have included competition officials, law academics, practitioners and representatives from industry.

Public health, safety and access to reasonably priced medicine are common policy goals of pharmaceutical regulations. As both the context for innovation and competitive structure change, industry actors dynamically challenge the balance between the incentive for protection and the achievement of those policy goals. Considering the arguments from the perspectives of innovation, competition law and patent law, this book explores the difficult question of balancing protection with access, highlighting the difficulties in harmonization and coordination. The contributors to this book, including academics, judges and practitioners from Europe, the US and Japan, explore to what extent patent strategies and life-cycle management practices take advantage of patent laws and health-care regulation and disrupt the necessary balance between incentives for innovation and access to affordable medicine and health care. Addressing fundamental questions in the field of pharmaceutical innovation, this book will appeal to scholars and practitioners in intellectual property, competition law and life sciences regulation, as well as pharmaceutical companies and regulators. Contributors: R. Arnold, M.A. Bagley, B. Domeij, J. Drexl, R.C. Dreyfuss, C.R. Fackelmann, T. Imura, R. Iseki, N. Lee, R. Moufang, H. Ullrich

'This fine collection of essays demonstrates in a very articulate way why EU State aid law has taken the centre stage of EU law. In eighteen chapters the reader is provided with a fascinating snapshot of the main issues and developments of the law. The key elements of the EU policy are analysed in a critical way often leading to new insights. In addition the book contains a wealth of material greatly facilitating further research.' - Piet Jan Slot, University of Leiden, the Netherlands 'European state aid law needs more self-questioning and more intellectual debate. In my view, this Research Handbook is a very valuable contribution to this necessary process. It correctly identifies the most intellectually problematic issues within state aid law and asks the right questions. This may be due to the balance in the excellent selection of contributors, coming both from the academia and from practice. This guarantees, on the one hand, that the questions are relevant in practice and not purely theoretical but also provides, on the other hand, for a rigorous analytical approach when confronting the issues. The result is a fresh and interesting new look to many of the basic issues of state aid law.' - Jose Luis Buendia Sierra, Garrigues, Brussels, Belgium, and King's College London, UK This timely new Handbook reflects on current issues that confront State aid law and policy in the EU. State aid was a neglected area of competition law until attempts to modernize it became central to the Lisbon process 2000 where the aim was to encourage 'intelligent' State aid by reducing aid to specific sectors and by making better use of aid for horizontal projects central to EU integration concerns. This policy framework has underpinned the new approach to State aid policy in the EU in recent years and informs many of the chapters in this book. Contributions from leading academics, regulators and practising lawyers, discuss topics devoted to modernization, problems faced by recent enlargements of the EU, the role of State aid in the fiscal crisis and recession, the role of the private market investor test, regional aid, environmental aid and the review of the Altmark ruling. Perspectives on State aid law and policy from the disciplines of economics and political science are also explored in detail. Research Handbook on European State Aid Law will appeal to academics, regulators, national and EU government officials, practitioners and postgraduate students who are involved in State aid law. Contributors: C. Ahlborn, A. Bartosch, A. Biondi, A. Birnstiel, M. Blauberger, L. Coppi, M.-A. Dittel, M. Everson, M. Farley, L. Hancher, H. Heinrich, H.C.H. Hofmann, K.-O. Junginger-Dittel, J. Kavanagh, T. Kleiner, M. Krajewski, R. Kramer, A. Lykotrafiti, C. Micheau, A. Morini, P. Nebbia, G. Niels, D. Piccinin, S. Pilsbury, F. Salerno, M. Schutte, E. Szyszczak

Offering a concise and critical comparison of EU competition law and US antitrust law from an economic perspective, this is the ideal textbook for international and interdisciplinary courses combining law and economic approaches. The book provides thorough coverage including the definition of market power, the use of horizontal and vertical restrictions, mergers and the unilateral conduct of dominant firms. It also includes discussion of problems relating to the enforcement of legal prohibitions, which will be of particular interest to practitioners and regulators. With analysis of leading cases of EU competition law, US antitrust law and insightful case studies of competition laws in BRIC countries, this book succinctly highlights the key information and goes further to discuss the many issues relating to the use of economic analysis. Key Features: uses economic insights to help students understand the context in which the rules of competition law are applied systematically compares EU competition law and US antitrust law, with discussion of leading cases, in order to understand how the underlying principles work in practice clear presentation, including boxes highlighting key case studies, ensures information on the competition laws of various BRIC countries is easily accessible the comparative approach and use of international case studies make this an ideal textbook for students in any jurisdiction.

The Japanese government is becoming less involved in shaping industrial policy - but what does this imply for the openness of Japanese markets to foreign competition?;In an extensive study of "post-development" Japan, Ulrike Schaede argues that, contrary to what many have suggested, the reduced role of government regulation may not result in more open markets. Instead, as has happened throughout Japanese history, deregulation and the recession of the 1990s have once again led Japanese trade associations to assume important regulatory functions of their own. They do this through "self-regulation" - setting and enforcing the rules of trade for their industries, independent from the government. As a result, many Japanese markets are now effectively governed by incumbent firms, in particular in terms of structuring the distribution system. As the record of post-war antitrust enforcement reveals, Japan's antitrust system considers most activities of self-regulation, other than outright price-fixing, as legal.

This timely Research Handbook provides a comprehensive overview and discussion of the substantive competition law provisions of the ASEAN Plus Three region, including Hong Kong and Taiwan. Taking a unique comparative perspective, chapters examine Asian competition laws in relation to the existing laws that served as models for them, analysing how and why they deviate. Expert contributions from both scholars and practitioners provide insight into the complex development of competition law in the region taking into account the growing number of competition law models, changing views on law convergence, enforcement practice and the progression of economic thought. Chapters highlight and explore the special features of these laws as a result, as well as draw conclusions on the perceptions of competition law in different ASEAN member states. Academics in law, economics and public policy with an interest in competition law, both in Asia and more broadly, will find this Research Handbook's insights invaluable. Legal practitioners and policy makers will also find its examination of the major issues in the competition law of the region useful. Contributors include: A.C.M. Chen, T.K. Cheng, M.F. Cheong, Y.S. Choi, A.M. Ditucalan, D. Fruitman, J.O. Haley, S. Hayashi, S. Hongvichit, E.L.E. Khoo, L.H. Luu, X. Ma, B. Ong, M. Songkheang, J.B.C. Teoh, S. Thanitcul, S. Van Uytsel, S.Y. Wahyuningtyas, X. Wang, K. Wu

This book is Volume II of a two-volume set on antitrust policy, analyzing the economic efficiency and moral desirability of various kinds of antitrust-policy-coverable conduct and various possible government responses to such conduct, including US and EU antitrust law. The overall study consists of three parts. Part I (Chapters 1-8) introduces readers to the economic, moral, and legal concepts that play important roles in antitrust-policy analysis. Part II (Chapters 9-16) analyzes the impacts of eight types of conduct covered by antitrust policy and various possible government responses to such conduct in terms of their economic efficiency, their impact on liberal moral rights, and their instantiation of various utilitarian and other egalitarian conceptions of the moral good. Part III (Chapters 17-18) provides detailed information on US antitrust law and EU competition law and compares the extent to which-when correctly interpreted and applied-these two bodies of law could increase economic efficiency, protect liberal moral rights, and instantiate various morally defensible conceptions of the moral good. This second volume contains the last 6 chapters of Part II, which focus respectively on horizontal (M&A)s, conglomerate (M&A)s, surrogates for vertical integration, vertical (M&A)s, joint ventures, and internal growth and Part III, which focuses on US antitrust law and EU competition law. The book will appeal to undergraduate and graduate students of economics and law who are interested in welfare economics, antitrust policy, and The General Theory of Second Best.

The European Commission's recent green paper on damages actions for breach of EC antitrust rules stirred a debate across Europe on the need for legal reform that would encourage private plaintiffs to claim compensation for losses suffered as a result of anticompetitive conduct. Prominent in the wake of that initiative was the international conference convened by the Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law in Hamburg in April 2006, the papers and proceedings of which are presented in this important book. Among the topics and issues raised and discussed here are the following: the 2001 Courage judgment of the European Court of Justice, in which the court decided that everyone who suffers losses from a violation of arts. 81 or 82 EC is entitled to compensation; relevance of the case law that contributes to general principles of European tort law; comparative analysis from the more comprehensive experience of national laws in the United States, Germany, France, and Italy; calculation of damages; passing-on of losses sustained in an upstream market to customers in a downstream market; procedural devices which may help to overcome the lack of implementation; duties of disclosure and the burden of proof; collective actions that may help to overcome the rational abstention of individuals; pitfalls of leniency programmes implemented by national competition authorities; and, issues of jurisdiction and choice of law. The lively debates that followed the presentations at the conference are also recorded here. Although more discussion will be needed before a viable legal framework in this area begins to emerge, these ground-breaking contributions by lawyers of various disciplines, jurists, economists, academics, and European policymakers take a giant step forward. For lawyers, academics, and officials engaged with this important area of international law, this book clearly improves our understanding of the economic need and legal particularities which could generate an effective European system of private antitrust litigation.

This latest monograph by Professor Korah on the recent group exemption consists of a detailed and critical commentary on the technology transfer block exemption and guidelines of 2004, and of the case law of the ECJ and Commission on licensing and refusals to license, together with annotated copies of the regulation and guidelines. There is a substantial chapter on refusal to supply or license in the light of the recent case law under Article 82. It embraces many of the competition issues that may affect intellectual property rights. After a brief introduction, the work starts with short chapters on the free movement of goods and services, the status of the Commission's guidelines and the historically hostile attitude of the Commission under Article 81 towards licensing. It then launches into a detailed analysis of the regulation and the probable treatment of licences that do not fall within it. Throughout the book the author provides extensive analysis of policy and economics as well as comparison with US practice.

This book provides a comprehensive practitioner guide to the EU law of State aid, covering all relevant legislation, case law, and the dominant themes shaping EU State aid policy. It discusses the concept of State aid and its development in the European Union, as well as practical aspects such as procedures for notification to the European Commission, and enforcement in the European Court and national courts. It offers extensive coverage of specific sectors, including transport and shipbuilding, media and communications, energy and environmental protection, culture and heritage, and agriculture. The third edition is fully updated to cover the extensive legislative changes in this area, including the new General Block Exemption Regulation and De Minimis Regulation, horizontal aid guidelines, and sectoral guidelines for aviation, cinemas, agriculture, and fisheries; as well as State aid cases in the national courts, particularly the UK, and recent European Court jurisprudence. Accessible to competition lawyers and non-specialists, the book's clarity and concision make it an invaluable reference to this area of law.

Sovereign states commonly use tax incentives in order to attract investment and capital from abroad. Although it has been recognized for many years that the forms and features of these incentives can often have harmful effects, there has not until now been a clear, in-depth, full-scale study of what these effects are, how they come about, and how they can be minimized or avoided. Within this volume, Carlo Pinto crystallises the extensive European and American literature in the field, locating his legal analysis in an EU law context that offers a framework within which tax lawyers in both government and business can find common ground. This volume builds an authoritative synthesis and proposal in its detailed discussions of all aspects of the theory and practice of tax competition, including the following: evidence of interjurisdictional tax competition in the US experience and what the EU can learn from it; methodologies to study tax competition; economic evidence of tax competition in Europe; Member States' "benchmark" tax systems; internal market distortion provisions of the EU Treaty (Articles 96 and 97) and relevant EMU provisions. It also examines the: applicability of state aid provisions (EC Treaty Article 87) to direct tax measures; the EU "Code of Conduct" Group; OECD countermeasures against harmful tax competition; and CFC legislation. In the course of his presentation the author analyses various tax regimes and court cases from most EU Member States, outlining the issues and clarifications each brings to the central questions. His final proposal demonstrates that the beneficial effects of tax competition - decrease in direct tax burden, improved efficiency in public administration, enhancement of employment and development - need not be fraught with the risk of fiscal degradation. This is a significant development in the success of the projected harmonisation of taxation in the European Union.

Dealing with rights and developments at the margin of classic intellectual property, this fascinating book explores emerging types of regulations and how existing IP regimes inform and influence the judicial and legislative creation of 'substitute' IP rights.The editors have carefully structured the book to ensure that there is a thorough analysis of how commercial values arising at the margins of classic IP rights are regulated. As new regimes of regulations emerge, the question of how existing IP regimes inform and influence the judicial and legislative creation of 'substitute' intellectual property rights is explored. By doing this, the contributors interrogate the very boundaries that constitute what IP rights traditionally protect and cover. Should all investments in anything intangible and 'intellectual' - such as product shapes, personality, data and organization of an event - be protected as property? Should there be qualitative differences among the types of investments and achievements? These are just some of the interesting questions addressed in this important new book. Academics, policymakers, lawyers and many others concerned with IP rights, will benefit from the extensive and thoughtful discussion presented in this work. Contributors: T. Aplin, S. Ericsson, J. Griffiths, A. Kur, N. Lee, S. Maniatis, A. Ohly, A. Quaedvlieg, G. Rinkerman, K. Schmitt, Y. Tamura, N. van der Laan, G. Westkamp

The European Competition Law Annual 2004 is ninth in a series of volumes following the annual workshops on EU Competition Law and Policy held at the Robert Schuman Centre of the European University Institute in Florence. The volume reproduces the materials of the roundtable debate that took place at the ninth edition of the workshop (11-12 June 2004), which examined the relationship between competition law and the regulation of (liberal) professions. The (liberal) professions and the rules governing their functioning have become of interest for EC competition law enforcement since the early nineties, making the object of a series of Commission decisions and judgments of the European courts. The subject has gained in importance in the perspective of the recent decentralisation of EC antitrust enforcement. The regulation of (liberal) professions is also a matter of increasing concern from the perspective of freedom of services in the internal market. The workshop participants - a group of senior representatives of the Commission and the national competition authorities of some Member States, reknown international academics and legal practitioners - discussed the economic, legal and political/institutional issues that arise in the relationship between competition law and the regulation of (liberal) professions.

The revised EC policy on the application of competition law to vertical agreements is an important developments in EC anti-trust. The block exemption regulation, which came into effect on 1 June 2000, and the accompanying policy changes are crucially important for companies doing business in the European Union. Whichever route a business chooses to get its products to market, it needs to understand the impact of the EC rules. This title provides a comprehensive and practical commentary on the changed rules. It contains the full text of the block exemption regulation, accompanying guidelines and other relevant Commission notices. Issues covered include: background to EC competition law and its application to vertical agreements; in-depth analysis of the provisions of the block exemption regulation; examination of how the rules apply to exclusive distribution; and selective distribution, franchising and agency agreements.

This volume contains ten papers, by many prominent authors, examining antitrust issues of current interest. The first paper summarizes the other papers and presents original research on the meaning of consumer welfare and the sources of buyer power. The next five articles evaluate older antitrust cases to determine whether the decisions reached, the relief ordered, or both, enhanced consumer welfare. The seventh paper describes a new measure of efficiency that gives greater weight to consumer harm and applies it to a recent merger. The next paper explains a new way in which vertical foreclosure can enhance the market power of an upstream supplier. The ninth article refines an innovative technique for identifying substitutes among a set of differentiated products. The tenth paper confronts a contentious policy issue - the treatment of patent settlements in which the patent holder pays the challenger to exit the market - and concludes that they should be per se illegal.

The objective(s) of Article 102 TFEU, what exactly makes a practice abusive and the standard of harm under Article 102 TFEU have not yet been settled. This lack of clarity creates uncertainty for businesses and, coupled with the current state of economics in this area, raises an important question of legitimacy. Using law and economic approaches, this book inquires into the possible objectives of Article 102 TFEU and proposes a modern approach to interpreting 'abuse'. In doing so, this book establishes an overarching concept of 'abuse' that conforms to the historical roots of the provision, to the text of the provision itself, and to modern economic thinking on unilateral conduct. This book therefore inquires into what Article 102 TFEU is about, what it can be about and what it should be about regarding both objectives and scope. The book demonstrates that the separation of exploitative abuse from exclusionary abuse is artificial and unsound. It examines the roots of Article 102 TFEU and the historical context of the adoption of the Treaty, the case law, policy and literature on exploitative abuses and, where relevant, on exclusionary abuses. The book investigates potential objectives, such as fairness and welfare, as well as the potential conflict between such objectives. Finally, it critically assesses the European Commission's modernisation of Article 102 TFEU, before proposing a reformed approach to 'abuse' which is centred on three necessary and sufficient conditions: exploitation, exclusion and a lack of an increase in efficiency.

In recent years, an impressive proliferation of competition laws has been seen around the world. While this development may lead to greater diversity of approaches, economic arguments may promote convergence. The contributions to this book look at a number of most topical issues by asking whether the competition world is turning more towards convergence or diversity. These issues include, among others, the changing role of economics in times of economic crises and political change, the introduction of criminal sanctions, resale-price maintenance, unilateral conduct and the application of competition law to intellectual property and state-owned enterprises. More Common Ground for International Competition Law will appeal to academics, PhD students, and postgraduate students law and economics, members of competition agencies, legal practice and international business. Contributors: S. Anderman, N.W Averitt, C. Beaton-Wells, J. Bejcek, J. Drexl, T. Eilmansberger, A.A. Foer, A. Fuchs, M.S. Gal, G. Ghidini, D. Healey, C.A. Jones, R.H. Lande, M. Lao, P.L Nihoul, R.J.R. Peritz, M.E. Stucke

Exploring obstacles to effective compensation of victims of competition infringements, this book categorises the types of victims harmed and the types of losses arisen from these infringements to identify to what extent there is a need for enhanced private competition law enforcement in the European Union (EU) and the best way to address this need. It shows that there is a genuine need for facilitating consumer damages actions and that consumer claims are the only claims that can be pursued in a collective redress action. In order to compensate consumers and overcome barriers to effective enforcement of their right to damages, it structures a collective redress action for consumers by considering the following elements: i. the formation of the group, ii. the type of representative party iii. funding mechanisms and iv. calculation and distribution of damages.

What are the normative foundations of competition law? That is the question at the heart of this book. Leading scholars consider whether this branch of law serves just one or more than one goal, and, if it serves to protect unfettered competition as such, how this goal relates to other objectives such as the promotion of economic welfare. The book brings together contributions on the relevance of different welfare standards, on the concept of 'freedom to compete' and on distributional fairness as a goal of competition law. Moreover, it discusses the relationship to other legal goals such as market integration. Finally, the specific issue of competition law goals in emerging economies is addressed. The Goals of Competition Law will have strong appeal to academics in competition law and competition economics; policy makers, enforcers and other practitioners in the field of competition law; and postgraduate students in competition law and competition economics. Contributors: T. Ackermann, A. Al-Ameen, O. Andriychuk, M. Bakhoum, J. Bejcek, A.D. Chirita, K. Diawara, E. Fish, A. Fuchs, M.S. Gal, D.J. Gerber, J.D. Gutierrez Rodriguez, D. Healey, L. Kaplow, A. Kunzler, F. Maier-Rigaud, C.P. Marquez, M. Negrinotti, P. Nihoul, L. Parret, H. Schweitzer, M.E. Stucke, J. Su, I. Takahashi, J.P. Terhechte, L. Tichy, X. Wang, D. Zimmer