Competitive Edge: Competition & EU Law July 2022

Read the full news letter here

In focus

A forward-looking retrospective: 10 years of Hungarian competition law enforcement

A chapter of the Hungarian Competition Authority’s (GVH) practice may be coming to an end. This article describes how the GVH coped with its tasks of competition control, advocacy and
developing a culture of competition in the past decade in Hungary.

It also provides a practical overview of the key trends of the authority’s practice over the past ten years.

Read the full story 

Updates from our jurisdictions

EU

A new EU trade instrument to ban products made by forced labour: what do we know so far?

For more information contact Francine Cunningham and Lluís Girbau Cabanas

Australia

Do not pass go, do not collect 200 VND: Federal Court of Australia imposes first ever prison sentences for cartel conduct

For more information contact For more information contact Thomas Jones, Matthew Bovaird or Patrick Cordwell

Belgium

Commission refers supermarket acquisition to Belgian authority

For more information contact Hein Hobbelen or Baptist Vleeshouwers

Czech Republic

Investigation into food re-purchasing contract provisions leads to supply chain compensation

For more information contact Vojtěch Chloupek or Martin Taimr

Denmark

Looking ahead - the Danish Competition Council publishes its enforcement priorities for 2022

Read the full story

For more information contact Morten Nissen, Alexander Brøchner or Nanna Krabbe

Italy

Pharmaceutical company fined by the Italian Competition Authority for the sale of a lifesaving drug at excessive prices

Read the full story

For more information contact Federico Marini Balestra or Lucia Antonazzi

Netherlands

Authority for Consumers & Markets proposes a new take on fairness and efficiency to combat the effects of climate change

Read the full story

For more information contact Janneke Kohlen or Matteo Stainer

Poland

The Polish Office of Competition and Consumer Protection has fined six influencers for failing to cooperate in an investigation into surreptitious advertising on social media

Read the full story

For more information contact Szymon Gołębiowski or Cezary Opalinski

Singapore

Commercial cooperation and new guidance note in the aviation industry

Read the full story

For more information contact Sandra Seah

Spain

Spanish Competition Authority analyses distribution of medicines in Spain

Read the full story

For more information contact Candela Sotés

Bird & Bird news and publications

Senior Counsel joins our Competition team in Finland

We are delighted to announce that Senior Counsel Petteri Metsä-Tokila recently joined our team in Helsinki. He has over 20 years' experience advising clients in competition law in areas ranging from distribution agreements and horizontal cooperation to complex merger control proceedings.

Petteri has broad experience in representing clients before different authorities and courts in competition and regulatory proceedings. He is a businessoriented lawyer, advising clients in the food, retail, communication and media, financial services, and technology industries, among others.

In addition to competition law, he also advises clients in various regulatory and compliance issues as well as in commercial agreements.

Read more here

German Bird & Bird Antitrust team and partner recognised in WirtschaftsWoche ranking

Congratulations to our German antitrust team and partner Stephan Waldheim, who was recognised by WirtschaftsWoche, one of Germany‘s most well-known economic weekly newspapers, in its 2022 'WiWo' ranking. This ranking selects 'the most renowned law firms and lawyers for antitrust law' in Germany.

Read the full article

Updated eLearning course on competition rules for Supply and Distribution

On June 1st the new competition regime for distribution in the EU came into force, affecting businesses that distribute products in the EU. If your company needs training on the new regime, we would be happy to help.

Our eLearning course on Supply & Distribution competition rules has also been updated to reflect the new regime. Watch a short demo video of the eLearning course here.

Get in touch with your local Bird & Bird Competition & EU lawyer if you have specific questions or would like to explore opportunities that the new regime may open up for your business.

Webinar & events

EU Competition Law Summer School 2022

8 - 12 August 2022
Downing College, Cambridge, UK

Competition & EU partners Peter Willis and Anne Federle will present at the Informa Connect EU Competition Law Summer School, covering the topics of mergers and hard core cartels.

Lear Competition Festival 2022

21 - 23 September 2022
Rome

This festival in Rome is a hub that gathers innovation, networking, and exciting opportunities for the antitrust community. It brings together all the stakeholders of the antitrust field – competition authorities, regulatory agencies, international organizations, universities, law firms, companies – in plenary sessions organized by Lear and in parallel sessions organized by the LCF Partners.

During the three-day festival, participants will have the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of specific antitrust issues, to acquire new tools for legal and economic analysis and to network with the main players in the competition field.