Over the past 30 years, merger control has become well-established around the world with broad consensus around its ambit and objectives. That consensus has fractured in recent years. Enforcement today is at a critical juncture, facing an array of challenges and calls for reform unprecedented in their scope and intensity. Authored by leading legal practitioners, economists, enforcers, and jurists, this timely Research Handbook on Global Merger Control discusses various critiques that have been made and considers an array of jurisdictional, procedural, substantive, and other issues that are generating intense debate across the antitrust community. These include the scope and objectives of merger control, whether merger control can be reconciled with industrial policy, whether the consumer welfare standard is an appropriate tool for substantive assessment, whether merger control should be used to meet broader policy objectives, and whether existing rules and presumptions are appropriate for the digital age. This Handbook will be of great value to anyone interested in global merger control, digital markets, industrial policy, and the role of public interest considerations. It provides an excellent tool for academics and practitioners looking to gain a rounded view of current issues in global merger control and an understanding of how enforcement is likely to evolve.

This incisive Research Handbook identifies and assesses the emerging trends in competition enforcement, investigating how such changes impact the enforcement approach of competition authorities and the behaviour of companies in an ever-evolving business and regulatory environment. Insightful contributions from experts in the field of competition enforcement law cover anticompetitive agreements, unilateral conduct, and merger control, as well as exploring topics such as algorithmic collusion, market power and data, big data, industrial policy, consumer welfare, common ownership, and competition enforcement in digital platforms. Combining academic, practitioner, and enforcer perspectives, this expansive Handbook sheds light on topical developments concerning competition enforcement, representing an expansion of existing enforcement practices. The Handbook concludes by considering how competition authorities could address the proliferating competition enforcement challenges arising from the appearance of new markets, novel business models, and technological developments. Bringing together unique perspectives on new trends affecting competition enforcement, this timely Handbook will prove invaluable to law firms with an international competition or merger law practice, as well as to economic consultants and competition and regulatory authorities. Comprehensive and accessible, its analysis of the latest developments and perspectives in competition enforcement establish the Handbook as essential reading material for scholars of law and business across the globe.

This book addresses the phenomenon of mergers that may result in non-coordinated effects in oligopolistic markets. Such cases are sometimes referred to as "non-collusive oligopolies", or "gap cases" and there is a concern that they might not be covered by the substantive test that some Member States use for merger assessment. Ioannis Kokkoris examines the argument that the European Community Merger Regulation (Regulation 4064/89) did not capture gap cases and considers the extent to which the revised substantive test in Regulation 139/2004 deals with the problem of non-collusive oligopolies. The author identifies actual examples of mergers that gave rise to a problem of non-coordinated effects in oligopolistic markets, both in the EU and in other jurisdictions, and analyses the way in which these cases were dealt with in practice. The book considers legal systems such as United Kingdom, United States, Australia and New Zealand. The book investigates whether there is any difference in the assessment of non-collusive oligopolies between the various substantive tests which have been adopted for merger assessment in various jurisdictions. The book also looks at the various methodological tools available to assist competition authorities and the professional advisers of merging firms to identify whether a particular merger might give rise to anticompetitive effects and explores the type of market structure in which a merger is likely to lead to non-coordinated effects in oligopolistic markets.

This book addresses the phenomenon of mergers that may result in non-coordinated effects in oligopolistic markets. Such cases are sometimes referred to as "non-collusive oligopolies," or "gap cases" and there is a concern that they might not be covered by the substantive test that some Member States use for merger assessment. Ioannis Kokkoris examines the argument that the European Community Merger Regulation (Regulation 4064/89) did not capture gap cases and considers the extent to which the revised substantive test in Regulation 139/2004 deals with the problem of non-collusive oligopolies.

The author identifies actual examples of mergers that gave rise to a problem of non-coordinated effects in oligopolistic markets, both in the EU and in other jurisdictions, and analyses the way in which these cases were dealt with in practice. The book considers legal systems such as United Kingdom, United States, Australia and New Zealand. The book investigates whether there is any difference in the assessment of non-collusive oligopolies between the various substantive tests which have been adopted for merger assessment in various jurisdictions. The book also looks at the various methodological tools available to assist competition authorities and the professional advisers of merging firms to identify whether a particular merger might give rise to anticompetitive effects and explores the type of market structure in which a merger is likely to lead to non-coordinated effects in oligopolistic markets.

Economic analysis plays a pivotal role in competition enforcement. Integrating an economic perspective on merger control with a legal perspective throughout, this is a comprehensive reference work on merger control in the EU. Each chapter includes an analysis of the economic methods that have been employed in merger cases or that can be employed in merger assessment, such as merger simulation and critical loss analysis. Whilst focusing on EU practice, the work also highlights key procedures and and case law across the member states. A comparison with US procedure is also considered. Analysing both substantive and procedural law in detail, this is the most comprehensive work on EU merger control and is invaluable for merger assessment.

The ultimate goal of competition law is to promote competition and, in most jurisdictions, to enhance consumer welfare. Competition policy may be set aside due to special and exceptional circumstances, such as a financial crisis that threatens the stability of an economy. It is therefore important to have a clear understanding of competition law and the exceptions to it. The key issue that this book addresses is whether a financial crisis can justify the adoption of a more lenient approach to established legal standards as a result of the risks of the systemic crisis to the entire market. It provides an analysis of exceptions to competition law and policy, particularly in the context of a financial crisis, explores the rationale of competition law in the light of conflicting interests, and serves as a valuable practical guide for policy makers as well as practitioners in the field.

Public Interest Considerations in US Merger Control: An Assessment of National Security and Sectoral Regulators offers a detailed study of the enforcement goals and regulatory framework of merger control assessment in the US. Assessment approaches vary considerably across sectors and Kokkoris explores the different approaches adopted by a range of US regulatory authorities, including the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, the Federal Communications Commission, the Department of Transportation, and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. Kokkoris argues that US merger assessments can be convoluted as transactions can be assessed under a public interest test by one sectoral authority and under a competition test by the Federal Trade Commission or the Department of Justice. These overlapping approaches can lead to contradictory outcomes, resulting in ineffective competitive dynamics in the sectoral market. The book focuses on the composition, legislation, and the relevant public interest considerations of each regulatory authority and presents seminal cases that illustrate the different enforcement approaches as well as the possible discrepancies between competition law-based assessments and national security or public interest-based assessments. Distilling all these considerations, Public Interest Considerations in Merger Control suggests that the application of the varying shades of the public interest standard can result in a complex and inefficient merger review process and recommends new ways to address these inefficiencies.

With incisive and thought-provoking contributions from both leading academics and practitioners, this book addresses in detail the major areas in relation to the Commission Guidance Paper on Applying Article 82 of the EC Treaty (now Article 102). The paper has been at the center of much of the recent debate on antitrust policy in Europe and has generated significant controversy and intense debate. The authors contend that the guidance from the Commission is on the one hand entirely justifiable in its focus on consumer harm in identifying what constitutes an abuse, but that on the other it is not consistent enough in its message, nor indeed does it offer enough structural guidance on the practical application of the approach. The book addresses all of these concerns, considers the reform of article 102, and identifies the challenges inherent in its enforcement, looking for instance at enforcement in certain sectors, such as the high tech sector. The book considers recent seminal antitrust cases such as the Microsoft case to illuminate and better understand abuse of dominance. It brings a line of clarity to often contradictory messages and in so doing provides invaluable practical guidance to enforcers and practitioners alike.
The editors combine the insight of a leading international economist and an experienced antitrust scholar, and the contributions are linked by a common emphasis on a strong economic approach to antitrust enforcement.

The edited volume will adopt a thematic approach to some controversial issues in the area of competition law and IP in China and will include contributions from leading academics and practitioners. The combination of the editors as well as the contributors' expertise on competition and IP law, and their practical experience and perspectives, guarantees that the book will present a high quality up to date, detailed analysis of the different perspectives that these jurisdictions take in the enforcement of competition and IP law. The volume discusses the current trends as well as the future challenges of the enforcement in these areas. The book aims to further the understanding of these controversial and fast paced issues by offering insights and recommendations on the basis of a comprehensive and thoughtful analysis. It therefore aims to become the ultimate point of reference to scholars, law and policy makers, and other stakeholders.