Competitive Edge: Competition & EU Law - March 2025

 

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In Focus

How to ensure a fairer vet market for consumers

The UK veterinary market has undergone significant changes, including increased pet ownership and market consolidation. In 2024, the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) launched a market investigation to ensure strong competition and good outcomes for pets and owners. The CMA's initial review identified issues like a lack of transparency and limited consumer access to basic information. Potential remedies include mandating clear pricing information, imposing maximum prices, and implementing structural changes to enhance competition. The CMA's investigation could serve as a model for other countries. Read the full article to learn more about this important initiative.

Read the full story 

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Updates from our jurisdictions

Czech Republic

Do Not Settle for Generic Keywords – Dawn Raid Practices under Scrutiny of Czech Supreme Administrative Court 

Read the full story

If you need more information or further guidance in this area, please contact Martin Taimr, Vojtěch Chloupek and Matej Šinkovic.

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Denmark

Squeezed out: Pricing practices of a dominant undertaking found to effectively exclude competitors from the market 

Read the full story

If you need more information or further guidance in this area, please contact Stefan Brkic and Morten Nissen.

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Germany

German Federal Court of Justice refers question of liability of board members and managing directors for corporate fines to Court of Justice of the EU

Read the full story

If you need more information or further guidance in this area, please contact Dr. Stephan Waldheim and Gitty Narymany Shandy.

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Netherlands

A prescription for fairer competition: court rules on excessive pricing of orphan drugs and health insurers' response 

Read the full story

If you need more information or further guidance in this area, please contact Pauline Kuipers, Joost van Roosmalen, and Sander Wagemakers.

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Poland

Credit information antitrust probe started in Poland 

Read the full story

If you need more information or further guidance in this area, please contact Marcin Alberski and Stanislaw Szymanek.

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Spain

Greenwashing and competition - Spanish judgement helps define limits for green claims 

Read the full story

If you need more information or further guidance in this area, please contact Candela Sotes.

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Events and webinars

Conference

Informa CompLaw Nordic

25 - 26 March | Stockholm, Sweden

Join our Nordics competition partners Morten Nissen and Katia Duncker at the 'only truly panNordic competition law forum' where you will hear directly from all the Nordic and Baltic National Competition Authorities, the European Commission, leading in-house counsel and specialised advisors, to help you understand recent developments in competition law and shape your practical strategies.

At this event Morten will speak on the evolving concept of abuse of dominance with a focus on recent developments in the pharma sector.

Reach out to Katia and Morten if you are attending the conference, they look forward to connecting with you.

Register with a 20% discount here 

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Conference

ABA Antitrust Spring Meeting 2025

2 - 4 April | Washington D.C., USA

Janneke Kohlen, Federico Marini Balestra and Baptist Vleeshouwers will be attending the ABA Antitrust Spring Meeting this year. Feel free to get in touch if you will be there and would like to set up a meeting. They look forward to connecting with you at this event!

More information here

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GCLC Annual Conference

Present and future role of competition policy and the EU's open strategic autonomy

29 - 30 April | Brussels, Belgium

Don't miss the upcoming 20th Annual Conference of the Global Competition Law Centre (GCLC), focused on exploring the role of competition policy in the European Union's strategy of open strategic autonomy, with discussions around Member States’ interference in competitive markets, the reshaping of EU State aid control, and the evolution of competition policy to align with broader objectives such as sustainability and social fairness. The keynote speech at this event will be delivered by the European Commission's Executive Vice-President Teresa Ribera.

Bird & Bird partner José Rivas will moderate a panel discussing A Forward-Looking Vision for the Future of EU Competition Tools to achieve a Clean, Just and Competitive Transition in view of the EU Open Strategic Autonomy Goals.

Topics covered in this session will include:

• Possible future applications of Article 21(4) EUMR to achieve broader policy objectives
• Any role for Article 106 TFEU in the new framework?
• The future of Article 4(3) TEU under the new paradigm?
• Anticompetitive public regulations.

More information on the conference here

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In-person seminar

The future of Competition law enforcement in the UK

15 May | London, UK | Bird & Bird office

Following last year’s success and numerous requests for a repeat session, we are delighted to invite you to our annual Competition law Networking Seminar in London, featuring distinguished panellists and engaging discussions on the latest cutting-edge competition law issues as seen by regulators and industry experts.

Our guest speakers include:

• Tamara Todorovic – Director, Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
• Alex Olive – General Counsel, Payment Systems Regulator (PSR)
• Katie Curry – Partner, RBB Economics
• Cintia Aguilar Flores – Legal Counsel, Shell

Join the discussion on topical issues around UK competition law enforcement such as AI, algorithmic collusion, the entry into force of the DMCCA and the current political landscape. Afterwards, enjoy the opportunity to network over drinks and canapés.

More information here 

Register for the free event here

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ERA Conference

Annual Conference on European Media Law 2025

5 - 6 June | Trier, Germany & Online

This event, organised by the Academy of European Law (ERA) in cooperation with the Institute of European Media Law, aims to keep practitioners informed about the latest policy, legislative initiatives, and case law in the field.

Our partner, Pauline Kuipers, will be speaking on the rise of opinion power: how the DMA and DSA impact media-related issues. She will discuss the legal framework limiting market power, recent competition law decisions, and investigations by the European Commission and national competition authorities.

The conference will provide a platform for stakeholders and lawyers in the media sector to discuss recent EU media law initiatives, including topics such as digital sovereignty, cyberattacks, disinformation, the European Media Freedom Act, and the future of media coherence. Don't miss out on this opportunity to stay updated with the latest developments in media law.

More information here

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Webinar recording

EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation: Cutting-Edge Cases and Insights

Did you miss our recent webinar on the EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR)? In the 1-hour session, speakers from our Competition and Public Procurement law groups Morten Nissen, Janneke Kohlen, Dániel Arányi, Tialda Beetstra and Gábor Kutai explained the regulation's impacts on M&A and public tenders, examining case studies, and offering expert insights.

Aimed at in-house counsel and M&A and procurement specialists in companies as well as government entities worldwide, the goal of this webinar was to help you understand how to successfully navigate the FSR landscape.

Watch the webinar recording at the link below and reach out to our experts if you need further guidance.

Watch the webinar recording

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Bird & Bird news and publications

EU State Aid Control: Law and Economics, Second Edition

The second edition of "EU State Aid Control: Law and Economics" published by Wolters Kluwer is now available. This comprehensive guide explores the core principles and trade-offs in EU State aid control, providing an in-depth analysis of the legal and economic frameworks governing this field.

Our competition experts Hein Hobbelen and Baptist Vleeshouwers, together with Oliver Stehmann, have contributed a chapter on State aid in the broadband sector, a topic that is increasingly vital in our digitally connected world.

More information here

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We are delighted to announce that eight of Bird & Bird's competition law partners have been recognised in the Chambers Europe 2025 guide for their outstanding contributions to the field, reflecting our commitment to delivering exceptional legal services across Europe.

Our teams have been ranked in Belgium, Finland, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands, underlining our strategic presence and expertise in these jurisdictions. We are particularly proud of our Finnish team, which has been ranked for the first time this year, marking a significant milestone in our continued growth and excellence.

A sincere 'thank you' to our clients for their continued trust and collaboration, which inspires us to achieve great things. At Bird & Bird, we are dedicated to providing top-tier legal solutions and are honoured to be recognised as leaders in competition and EU law.