12. Competition Law: Cartels

Author(s):  
Robert Schütze

This chapter provides an overview of EU competition law through the lens of Article 101 TFEU. Article 101 outlaws anti-competitive collusions between undertakings; that is, ‘cartels’. Historically, this form of illegal behaviour has been the most dangerous anti-competitive practice. The prohibition on any collusion between undertakings to restrict competition in the internal market is thereby set out in Article 101. The European Union has given a wide jurisdictional scope to the provision, and EU competition law generally. Yet it tries to find an appropriate balance between pro- and anti-competitive considerations for every agreement. Due to the EU's historic task to create an internal market, vertical agreements have been of particular importance to EU; and distribution agreements indeed continue to occupy a prominent place within the case law of the European Courts.

Author(s):  
Matthew J. Homewood

This chapter focuses on Article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). Article 102 prohibits, as incompatible with the internal market, any abuse by undertakings in a dominant position within the internal market in so far as it may affect trade between Member States. It should be noted at the outset that ‘dominance’ itself is not prohibited, but only when such dominance is accompanied with abusive behaviour that may affect trade. Like Article 101, Article 102 is enforced by the European Commission, national competition authorities, and national courts under powers conferred by Regulation 1/2003.


Author(s):  
Lorna Woods ◽  
Philippa Watson ◽  
Marios Costa

This chapter examines the core elements of competition law in the European Union (EU) and its impact on the internal market, focusing on anti-competitive agreements, abuse of market power and controls over concentrations. It discusses the provisions and enforcement of Articles 101 and 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).


2020 ◽  
pp. 415-449
Author(s):  
Sylvia de Mars

This chapter analyses the foundations of EU competition law. Competition law is an attempt to regulate the behaviour of private companies when active in the internal market so as to ensure that competition between different entities remains and is fair. The rules of competition law aim both to assist the completion of the internal market as well as addressing consumer welfare in more general terms. A further particularly interesting dimension is that unlike most internal market law, competition law applies regardless of the nationality of the companies or businesses active in the internal market. As such, UK companies active on the continent after Brexit will have to know these rules, regardless of whether they continue to apply in the UK. The chapter then details the two Treaty provisions that address anti-competitive behaviour: Articles 101 and 102 TFEU (Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union).


2020 ◽  
pp. 641-684
Author(s):  
Marios Costa ◽  
Steve Peers

This chapter examines the core elements of competition law in the European Union (EU). It provides a number of examples of the types of agreements covered by EU competition law and shows the dangers which may arise when independent undertakings come together to coordinate their activities to distort competition. The chapter reviews the impact of anti-competitive agreements on the internal market and focuses on the abuse of market power and controls over concentrations. Overall, the chapter discusses the provisions and enforcement of Articles 101 and 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).


Author(s):  
Nicole Rinaldi de Barcellos

LIBERDADE DE CONCORRÊNCIA NA UNIÃO EUROPEIA: CONVERGÊNCIA DA DOUTRINA E DA JURISPRUDÊNCIA NO RECONHECIMENTO DA DISCIPLINA CONCORRENCIAL COMO BASE PARA O MERCADO INTERNO  FREEDOM OF COMPETITION IN THE EUROPEAN UNION: CONVERGENCE OF THE DOCTRINE AND THE CASE LAW IN THE RECOGNITION OF COMPETITION LAW AS A BASIS TO THE INTERNAL MARKET               Nicole Rinaldi de Barcellos* RESUMO: O objetivo deste estudo é investigar o papel da liberdade de concorrência no mercado interno da União Europeia, mediante análise doutrinária e jurisprudencial. A disciplina concorrencial compõe os instrumentos fundacionais do referido bloco econômico desde as primeiras versões até o presente momento, mantendo uma considerável estabilidade ao longo do tempo. A aplicação do direito da concorrência, por sua vez, encontra-se em constante aprimoramento, sendo objeto de discussão constante no âmbito do Tribunal de Luxemburgo, conforme os objetivos integracionistas são alargados, estimulando o desenvolvimento econômico equilibrado dos atores no mercado interno. Para desenvolver os objetivos propostos, a pesquisa foi dividida em duas partes. Na primeira seção são abordados os principais fundamentos teóricos da liberdade de concorrência no âmbito da União Europeia. Na segunda parte são apresentados casos jurisprudenciais considerados relevantes na consolidação da liberdade de concorrência como base ao mercado interno. Por fim, é destacada a essencialidade da liberdade concorrencial no processo de integração da União Europeia ao garantir e amparar as demais liberdades econômicas. PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Direito Internacional da Concorrência. União Europeia. Liberdade de Concorrência. Mercado Interno. Tribunal de Justiça da União Europeia. ABSTRACT: The purpose of this study is to investigate the role of freedom of competition in the European Union internal market based on doctrinal and case law analysis. Competition law composes the founding instruments of the European Union since its first versions to the present moment, maintaining a considerable stability over time. Application of competition law, however, is in constant improvement by the Luxembourg Court as integrationist goals are extended, in order to stimulate balanced economic development to the actors in the internal market. To develop the proposed objectives, the research is divided into two parts. The first section examines the main theoretical foundations of the freedom of competition within the European Union. In the second part it is presented a case law summary, considered relevant to the consolidation of the subject. Ultimately, it is highlighted that freedom of competition is substantial to the European Union process of integration by ensuring and supporting the other essential economic freedoms.  KEYWORDS: International Competition Law. European Union. Freedom of Competition.  Internal Market. Court of Justice of the European Union. SUMÁRIO: Introdução. 1 Fundamentos doutrinários da liberdade de concorrência no ordenamento jurídico da União Europeia. 1.1 Características estruturais da liberdade de concorrência na União Europeia. 1.2 Domínio de Aplicação da Liberdade Concorrencial na União Europeia. 2 Contribuição da jurisprudência do Tribunal de Luxemburgo para a consolidação da liberdade de concorrência. 2.1 Caso Dióxido de Titânio como marco jurisprudencial (C-300/89). 2.2 Casos TeliaSonera (C-52/09) e Comissão c. Italia (C-496/09). Considerações finais. Referências.* Mestranda no Programa de Pós-Graduação em Direito na Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), na linha de pesquisa Fundamentos da Integração Jurídica. Bolsista da CAPES/UFRGS. Especialista em Direito Internacional Público e Privado, e Direito da Integração pela Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS). Graduada pela Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS).


Author(s):  
Matthew J. Homewood

Articles 101 and 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) prohibit anti-competitive business practices. The European Commission, national competition authorities, and national courts enforce Articles 101 and 102 under powers conferred by Regulation 1/2003. From time to time, the European Commission issues non-binding notices providing clarification of the competition rules. This chapter focuses on Article 101, but begins with an outline of Articles 101 and 102 and the rules on enforcement. In broad terms, Article 101 prohibits business agreements or arrangements which prevent, restrict, or distort competition within the internal market and affect trade between Member States.


2021 ◽  
pp. 717-778
Author(s):  
Robert Schütze

This chapter assesses the EU competition law on private undertakings. The relevant Treaty section is here built upon three pillars. The first pillar deals with anticompetitive cartels and can be found in Article 101 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). The second pillar concerns situations where a dominant undertaking abuses its market power and is found in Article 102. The third pillar is unfortunately invisible, for when the Treaties were concluded, they did not mention the control of mergers. This constitutional gap has never been closed by later Treaty amendments, yet it has received a legislative filling in the form of the EU Merger Regulation.


Author(s):  
Nigel Foster

This chapter provides an introduction to Competition Policy and law in the European Union (EU). It covers the principal rules of EU competition law, namely Articles 101 and 102 TFEU and also considers the enforcement of the competition law regime and merger policy and regulation in the EU.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Diletta Danieli

Abstract The paper addresses the issue of excessive price abuse under Article 102(a) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), by drawing inspiration from a recent stream of cases (developed first at the national and then at the EU level) involving pharmaceutical companies marketing off-patent drugs. In particular, the two ‘most advanced’ cases are analysed: Aspen in Italy and Pfizer/Flynn in the United Kingdom. This new-found attention towards exploitative practices in the form of excessive and unfair pricing by dominant undertakings that have traditionally been subject to a cautious antitrust scrutiny seems worth exploring for a number of reasons, as illustrated in the paper. Ultimately, it is argued that this further ‘interference’ of competition law into the realms of regulation may be actually justified, albeit subject to precise conditions for enforcement, and may pursue policy objectives in the wider context of EU health law.


2020 ◽  
Vol 65 (2) ◽  
pp. 256-281
Author(s):  
Niamh Dunne

While European Union (EU) competition law has long been understood as a variety of public interest law, the extent to which the rules can be applied directly to advance noneconomic public interest-oriented goals is more contentious. This contribution considers whether and how such concerns can be accommodated within the framework of Articles 101 and 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). It considers both the conventional approach to addressing public interest concerns within the analytical structure of the antitrust rules and also how broader public interest objectives have shaped recent EU-level enforcement efforts in three key sectors: the liberalizing public utilities markets, the pharmaceutical sector, and the digital economy.


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