A European Commission (EC) proposal to subject acquisitions backed by foreign subsidies to regulatory scrutiny would aim to be swift and coordinated with any parallel merger review, the author of the proposal said today (15 July). On 17 June, the EC adopted a white paper focusing on “levelling the playing…

China’s antitrust regulator is starting to pay attention to the competition situation in the domestic online payment sector after having recently received complaints about two major players in the market, according to two people familiar with the matter. Alipay and Tenpay, operated respectively by the financial branches of China’s internet giants Alibaba Group and Tencent,…

Competition authorities should look at data collection and access to data in merger control review and not focus so squarely on market definition, said the head of France’s competition agency today (8 July). Agencies need to look at how data will be used by the merged parties when conducting antitrust…

The European Commission (EC) is currently consulting on the special responsibilities for gatekeeper platforms but has found the term “gatekeeper” tricky to define, European Commission (EC) Executive Vice President (EVP) Margrethe Vestager said during a hearing with the European Parliament today (23 June). “We are consulting now on what should…

The European Commission’s (EC) 2018 decision fining global chipmaker Qualcomm EUR 997m for abusing its market dominance in LTE baseband chipsets was published today (8 June). Following an ex-officio investigation launched in 2014, EC officials found that Qualcomm prevented rivals from competing in the market by making significant payments to Apple on the…

The COVID-19 pandemic has bolstered the market power of online platforms and caused an economic crisis necessitating cooperation to re-establish supply chains, the president of Germany’s competition authority Andreas Mundt told PaRR in an interview. The president of the Bundeskartellamt (Bkarta) pointed to several challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic has posed to…

– Opponents see no efficiency increases, bad court record – Agency director-general sees clear efficiency benefits – Proposal for implementing ECN+ directive expected later in summer     A government proposal to grant Sweden’s Konkurrensverket the power to take antitrust fining decisions instead of going to court has met with…

Singapore’s recent move to finalize its data protection law amendment raised some interesting talking points, including the mandatory notification threshold for data breaches that impact 500 or more individuals. This figure, however, should not be the sole criterion for determining reportable incidents, lawyers told PaRR.  Meanwhile, unlike the EU’s GDPR…

The European Commission’s (EC) final report on the evaluation of the Vertical Block Exemption Regulations (VBER) and vertical guidelines has indicated grounds for the possible revision of the rules which may be out of step with market developments and business practices. While the online trade space in the past 10…

Virgin Media and O2’s bundled fixed line and mobile services are likely to be a key focus of scrutiny when the European Commission’s (EC) carries out its investigation into the proposed merger, according to two competition lawyers following the situation. The GBP 31bn merger between the UK subsidiaries of Liberty Global [NASDAQ:LBTYA] and Telefonica [BME:TEF] will…

EU consumer body BEUC has called on the European Commission (EC) to conduct an in-depth investigation of Alphabet‘s [NASDAQ:GOOGL] Google’s acquisition of Fitbit [NYSE:FIT] as the merger would strengthen the company’s dominance in online advertising and place it in an “unassailable position” in the digital health and wearables markets. In a brief published Wednesday…

The Philippine National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has started reviewing reported cases of alleged anticompetitive conduct during implementation of the nationwide enhanced community quarantine, as the country’s effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19 is known, Undersecretary Mark Perete of the Department of Justice (DOJ) told PaRR. Perete, who is also the…

The European Commission (EC) is considering a list of “do’s and don’ts” as part of a possible ex ante regulation on fair conditions for digital platforms, said Margrethe Vestager, EC Executive Vice President (EVP), today (4 May). The EC is considering the ex ante tool in addition to several other…

Competition enforcers may want to consider violations related to data-gathering or pooling in the context of exploitative abuse rather than privacy per se, a senior European Commission (EC) official said today (29 April). Privacy and antitrust enforcement should not be treated in the same box, said Thomas Kramler, DG Comp’s…

Competition enforcers may want to consider violations related to data-gathering or pooling in the context of exploitative abuse rather than privacy per se, a senior European Commission (EC) official said today (29 April). Privacy and antitrust enforcement should not be treated in the same box, said Thomas Kramler, DG Comp’s…

Privacy, antitrust law can work hand-in-hand, EC official says Exploitative abuses could become more mainstream in privacy, data cases     Competition enforcers may want to consider violations related to data-gathering or pooling in the context of exploitative abuse rather than privacy per se, a senior European Commission (EC) official…

Privacy and antitrust law should not be integrated as these “are two different things,” a Federal Trade Commission official said today (April 29) at the American Bar Association’s Virtual Antitrust Spring Meeting. The contemporary antitrust debate on whether the value of data – its use, protection and privacy – warrants…

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) received a number of not “particularly persuasive” failing firm merger defenses before the coronavirus pandemic and it is likely to receive more amid the crisis, a senior agency official said. Speaking on the Hot Topics panel at the American Bar Association’s Virtual Antitrust Spring…

PaRR Analytics: Increasing interim measure use stirs consequences debate   • Last year’s interim measures over a third of all adopted since 2015 • Should be used in specific cases, not go beyond conduct – lawyers • Shifting agency attitudes mean use of tool seen to be on…

The European Commission’s (EC) investigation into Amazon and how the platform uses data is an example for the kind of conduct antitrust enforcers might want to watch out for in the future, a senior official said today (23 April). “It’s an example perhaps of the issue that – given the greater importance…

Antitrust enforcers should approach structural remedies with caution as they may not be proportionate, an official from the European Commission (EC), and former US enforcers, said today (23 April). “You can’t just impose a structural remedy when there are proportionate behavioural remedies that can be imposed,” said Nicholas Banasevic, head…

Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Commissioner Christine Wilson said today (23 April) that the agency will pursue more merger enforcement cases based on potential harms to future or nascent competition. Speaking during a podcast for the American Bar Association’s virtually-held Spring Meeting, Wilson cited as a signal that enforcement in these…

The European Commission’s (EC) merger control rulebook is sufficiently flexible to allow the agency to account for substantive changes in market conditions such as those caused by the coronavirus outbreak during the course of an assessment, said a senior EC official today (7 April). The EU Merger Regulation (EUMR) is flexible…

The European Commission’s (EC) proposed amendment to its Temporary Framework (TF) to allow for recapitalisations of companies proposes limits on mergers and acquisitions and a series of binding tools to incentivise repayment by 2023, according to a draft document seen by this news service. On Thursday (9 April), the EC…

The European Commission (EC) will issue guidelines to help member states screen foreign direct investment (FDI) to prevent foreign entities from taking over European companies in certain key sectors, EC President Ursula von der Leyen announced today (25 March). The EC will issue guidelines to help screen foreign direct investment…

The European Commission (EC) has issued (17 March) emergency guidance for requests for state aid due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on businesses in EU states. In its notice, the agency outlines a series of steps by which claimants can request state aid for damages incurred because of the…

The European Commission’s (EC) competition directorate is currently shortlisting sectors that will be suitable candidates for a potential inquiry, antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager said today (10 March). “We are indeed in the process of shortlisting sectors but that [announcement] will come later,” Vestager, who is also executive vice-president, said. Addressing…

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) today (4 March) dismissed an appeal by Marine Harvest (now Mowi) against a European Commission (EC) decision fining the firm EUR 20m for jumping the gun on its takeover of rival Morpol. The ruling did not follow the non-binding opinion of Advocate General (AG) Evgeni Tanchev ,…

Taiwan’s Fair Trade Commission (TFTC) is still looking at the proposed acquisition of Hitachi Chemical [TYO:4217] by chemical engineering firm Showa Denko [TYO:4004], according to a TFTC spokesperson, although he declined to be specific. “The proposed acquisition has been filed with the regulator. The case is still being ‘processed’ and has yet to be…

China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) has been looking at complaints against Apple Inc. for engaging in alleged anticompetitive conduct in patent licensing negotiations by abusing its advantageous position as the implementer of standard-essential patents (SEPs), according to two sources familiar with the matter. The US tech giant has been the…

Germany’s competition agency has largely backed draft provisions of the 10th amendment of the country’s competition act, but at the same time underlined possible deficiencies in an opinion paper published today (25 February). Last month, the German economy ministry published its draft digital competition reform, intended to boost abuse enforcement in the…

The scope of Japan’s proposed Digital Platform Transparency Law is so narrow that it may only apply to the five largest e-commerce companies operating in the country, according to three sources who submitted public comment on the matter before the bill moves to parliament, including a researcher with an industry…

The much-anticipated courtroom battle between Google and the European Commission (EC) in the Shopping antitrust case this week will see the EU General Court (EC) packed to capacity as the parties are accompanied by almost a dozen interveners armed with advisers. Seasoned veterans will plead the respective cases alongside juniors for whom the case…

France, Germany, Italy and Poland have called on the European Commission (EC) to revise its horizontal merger guidance and to clarify its plans to review the market definition notice in the coming weeks, according to a letter by ministers of the four EU member states seen by PaRR. The missive addressed…

The Japan Fair Trade Commission has requested a budget of JPY 11.6bn (USD 106m) — the highest on record — for the coming fiscal year as the agency’s role in regulating the digital economy increases, a JFTC official told PaRR today (3 February). The Japanese parliament also commenced its budget debate today.

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has today (30 January) clarified criteria applicable to the characterisation of settlement agreements between a pharmaceutical patents holder and generic medicines manufacturer, in a GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) pay-for-delay reference decision. In February 2016, the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) imposed a GBP 45m…

The Philippine antitrust authority is poised to utilize its newly acquired dawn raid powers in existing investigations into possible cartels, its chairman told PaRR today (29 January). Last week the Supreme Court formally launched rules governing on-site inspections by the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC). With the rules in place, dawn raids…

Proposals to change the EU’s merger control rules that would apply contrasting legal standards to different parties would face significant challenges, said the new top civil servant at the European Commission’s (EC) directorate for competition. The relationship between industrial policy and competition policy is the “sea serpent” of European politics…

The Paris Appeal Court has confirmed the legality of dawn raids conducted by the Autorité de la concurrence at the premises of a notaries’ association, its subsidiaries and a notary firm in 2017, according to two recently published orders. The notary profession is regulated in France and professionals operate partly…

China’s national security review process has historically been opaque. But a recent bid by Yonghui Superstore to take control of competitor Zhongbai Holdings has given much needed clarity on the timelines involved in such a review. Despite receiving antitrust clearance on August, the Shanghai-listed supermarket chain operator also needed to secure national security approval.

The burden and the standard of proof required of companies in antitrust cases are often misunderstood and practitioners should focus debate on the latter, a senior European Commission (EC) official said in Brussels today (25 November). The two concepts need to be distinguished for intellectual soundness, Thomas Kramler, DG Comp’s…

A proposed ex-ante tool for monitoring digital markets which would allow competition regulators to impose remedies absent an infringement is based in part on the Dutch regulator’s significant market power mechanism, the head of the Dutch agency said in Brussels today (20 November). The Autoriteit Consument en Markt (ACM) has…

A Spanish second-instance court has decided to file a request for preliminary ruling before the European Court of Justice (ECJ) regarding subsidiaries’ liability in infringements committed by parent companies in the context of the Spanish truck cartel litigation. According to a recent order seen by PaRR, the Audiencia Provincial de Barcelona…

Two Spanish commercial courts have recently granted damages to claimants seeking redress for a European truck cartel, but have reached new conclusions concerning the due costs and interest. An Oviedo court ordered Daimler to pay EUR 12,734 to a claimant, but found that the firm must only pay interest accrued…

China’s State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) is likely to witness a change in antitrust unit leadership in the near future as a result of internal rotation of bureau chiefs, according to three sources familiar with the matter. Wu Zhenguo, the current director-general of the Antimonopoly…

A chain of cases before German courts over the next few months are set to steer how licensing for connected cars in the 5G era is managed as judges hear arguments in Europe’s first such standard-essential patents (SEP) litigation, three people familiar with the matter told PaRR.

The validity of assigned damages claims to a litigation vehicle and of the underlying action came under the spotlight as one of Germany’s largest follow-on actions arising from the truck cartel was heard before Judge Gesa Lutz in Munich’s District Court (24 October).   The case sees Financialrights Claims GmBH…

Israel’s Supreme Court will consider whether a class action for damages following a European Commission (EC) cartel decision has standing in Israel after a district court rebuffed the claim, one of two lawyers acting for the class of plaintiffs has told PaRR . PaRR subscribers can read the full article on…

Executives from a local Chinese manufacturer of active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) in Shandong Province are facing criminal charges for obstructing an antitrust investigation, three sources familiar with the matter told PaRR. More than a dozen senior executives from the company have been arrested or are wanted by the authorities over attacks…

The European Commission (EC) can split large technology companies but seeks the path of a fine balance between enforcing competition law and protecting business opportunities which digital giants provide European businesses with, competition chief Margrethe Vestager said during confirmation hearings related to her new appointment before the European Parliament (EP)…

The EU General Court (GC) today (24 September) quashed the European Commission’s (EC) decision ordering the Netherlands to recover illegal state aid from Starbucks and confirmed a similar decision ordering Luxembourg to obtain unpaid taxes from Fiat. In the ruling concerning Starbucks, the GC concluded that the EC wrongly found…

The EU General Court (GC) today (24 September) quashed the European Commission’s (EC) decision ordering the Netherlands to recover illegal state aid from Starbucks and confirmed a similar decision ordering Luxembourg to obtain unpaid taxes from Fiat. In the ruling concerning Starbucks, the GC concluded that the EC wrongly found…

Challenges to the Irish High Court’s jurisdiction in ongoing follow-on trucks damages claims are expected to fall away following the European Court of Justice’s (ECJ) Tibor-Trans decision, the lawyer leading the Irish claims has told PaRR.     Evan O’Dwyer of O’Dwyer Solicitors filed 64 damages claims in 2017 on behalf of…

Osram [ETR: OSR] and ams [VIE:AMS] do not expect their potential tie-up to raise competition concerns due to limited overlap between their activities, spokespeople for both companies told this news service. On 16 September, the German lighting group recommended shareholders to accept ams’ takeover offer of EUR 38.50 per share…

A Spanish commercial court has ordered truck makers Iveco S.p.a. and Daimler AG to pay EUR 44,457 to two plaintiffs in compensation for overcharge due to their involvement in a European truck cartel.   According to the two recent rulings, the Juzgado de lo Mercantil No. 1 of Pontevedra partly…

The German competition authority is keenly monitoring developments over Facebook’s yet-to-be-launched cryptocurrency Libra, with president Andreas Mundt flagging concerns that the platform’s ability to gather financial data will further bolster its dominance. The Bundeskartellamt (BKartA) is also monitoring Apple Pay and Google Pay – payment services offered by the smartphone…

Matthew Boswell, newly named commissioner of the Canadian Competition Bureau (CCB), sits down with Acuris to provide details to help us better understand the antitrust agency’s process and how, when reviewing large cross-border transactions, it coordinates with counterparts in the US and other jurisdictions. Boswell, who was named to the…

Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer’s two partners and co-heads of the China competition practice, Ninette Dodoo and Hazel Yin spell out how China unlike its counterparts in the West is “extensively relaxing” its foreign investment rules. This they tell Freny Patel, Editor Asia Pacific, PaRR Global is encouraging especially when it comes…

Indonesia’s antitrust authority, Komisi Pengawas Persaingan Usaha (KPPU) though has been fighting to get extraterritorial powers and the ability to conduct dawn raid, its Chairman Kurnia Toha and Commissioner Kodrat Wibowo tell Freny Patel, Editor Asia Pacific, PaRR Global, that these proposals have been shot down by the government.   …

Japan’s antitrust authority feels there is a need for “a brand new government agency” to oversee digital platforms. Commissioner Reiko Aoki of the Japan Fair Trade Commission tells Freny Patel, Editor Asia Pacific, PaRR Global that it is very difficult for a single existing regulator to oversee digital platforms given…

Chilufya Sampa, Executive Director of the Zambian Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, highlights recent examples of enforcement work at the agency, the domestic importance of the agricultural sector and the role of advocacy in enforcement. Sampa also considers the role of the Zambian agency within COMESA, and the impact that…

Beatriz de Guindos Talavera, Head of cCmpetition at the Spanish competition authority, discusses guidance the agency is producing to help avoid future challenges against its decisions, and the impact of the new European Competition Network directive, and the damages directive in Spain. Click here to learn more.

Alexandre Barreto, president of Brazil’s competition authority CADE, discusses the agency’s adherence to the Organisation for the Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Competition Committee, claims Brazil’s Bolsonaro government will have no interference on CADE’s daily activities, discusses plans for 2019 and defends the agency’s evidentiary standards in this March 2019 interview. Click here…

When it comes to how effective the antitrust laws are enforced, “the results are more mixed,” said Randy Stutz, Vice President of the American Antitrust Institute. Speaking to PaRR in the 2019 Interview Series, Stutz highlighted a few indicators more is needed including, increasing concentration both at an aggregate level…

Hong Kong’s Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data is evaluating whether the existing law passed in 1995 and amended in 2012 might be “stale” given the complexity of data breaches with respect to the technology involved and the cross-border and multi-disciplinary nature of cases, its commissioner, Stephen Wong tells Freny Patel,…

The Director General of Nigeria’s competition and consumer council discusses the new antitrust mandate of the agency, staffing, cooperation with other African and international states and challenges facing the agency in its new role. Click here to learn more. The Director General of Nigeria’s competition and consumer…

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that a Hungarian court has jurisdiction over a cartel damages claim by a logistics firm against DAF concerning trucks purchased through a dealership.   In its ruling, the ECJ concluded that the jurisdiction was based on the fact that the alleged…

European Court of Justice (ECJ) advisor Juliane Kokott has today (29 July) advised judges to rule that an entity that is not a market participant but only issues subsidised financing can make a claim for damages resulting from a cartel. European Court of Justice (ECJ) advisor Juliane Kokott has today…

The Hong Kong government and its public bodies are increasingly consulting the Competition Commission at the earlier stages of their decision-making process, Chief Executive Officer Brent Snyder tells Freny Patel, Editor Asia Pacific, PaRR Global. This gives the antitrust authority an opportunity to influence decision-making in competition-related matters. Click…

Since the 1990s the US federal antitrust agencies have been helping countries all around the world develop laws, policies and procedures needed to set up competition regimes, explains Randy Tritell, Director of the US Federal Trade Commission’s International Affairs Office. Participating in PaRR’s 2019 Spring Video Series, learn more on…

Four Spanish commercial courts have partially accepted requests for information disclosure filed by several claimants preparing damages suits stemming from a European truck cartel.   According to 13 orders, the courts from Bilbao, Valencia, Donostia/San Sebastián and Logroño supported the disclosure of data regarding truck pricing.   However, they refused…

Martin Janda, Head of Staff and Special Advisor to the Director General at the Austrian competition authority, discusses the agency’s investigation into Amazon’s alleged abuse of dominance and its dual role as a platform and seller. Watch the full video here to learn more. Martin Janda, Head…

Margarida Matos Rosa, President of the Portuguese competition authority, discusses the latest developments related to the transposition of the European Competition Network Directive, and the benefits it could bring to Portugal. Matos Rosa also discusses her agency’s cooperation within a network of other Portuguese-speaking agencies, at a time of rapid…

Cartelists facing applications for collective proceeding orders by the British Road Haulage Association (RHA) and UK Trucks Claim Limited (UKTC) have told a London court today (4 June) that the proposed class representatives’ litigation funding agreements are unenforceable.   In July 2016, the European Commission (EC) found that MAN, Volvo/Renault, Daimler, Iveco, and DAF fixed “gross” list prices of…

Employment, participation in governance decisions, capital expenditure, tendency to spur economic activity and presence in Canada are all key factors in the net benefit test under the Investment Canada Act, according to Fasken partner Huy Do speaking to PaRR in the 2019 Spring Interview Series. “You may never know fully…

The Amsterdam District Court has ordered 10 claimants including litigation vehicles to show against which truck purchases they are basing cartel damages claims against five manufacturers, according to a 15 May ruling seen by PaRR.   Judges concluded that at least five of the claiming parties did not adduce enough proof…

An unnamed construction services firm in Germany is not required to demonstrate that overcharges caused by the EU truck cartel were not passed on to its clients, a ruling by the Stuttgart Higher Regional Court published today (16 May) shows.   According to the judgment, the Stuttgart…

In PaRR’s Interview Series, Competition and Consumer Commission of Singapore’s Chief Executive Han Li Toh provides a preview of some of the issues that were flagged by his agency’s consumer protection investigation into the online travel marketplace. Learn more about his take on how the seller should ensure consumers have…

Colombia’s Superintendency of Industry and Commerce’s umbrella includes antitrust, data and consumer protection, creating a trifurcated challenge when looking at digital platforms like Facebook, according to superintendent Andrés Barreto in PaRR’s 2019 Spring Video Series. Barreto also weighed in on several other topics related to competition law in under-developed countries.

From the battlefields of Iraq to prosecuting the landmark LIBOR manipulation conspiracy, the US’s top criminal antitrust prosecutor, has spent his entire career to date fighting important battles on behalf of Americans. During PaRR’s 2019 Spring Video Series, Deputy Assistant Attorney General Richard Powers speaks to us about his role…

Commissioner Paula Azevedo of Brazil’s Administrative Counsel for Economic Defense (CADE), seized on PaRR’s 2019 Spring Video Series as an opportunity to advocate for the world’s eighth largest economy. Commissioner Paula Azevedo of Brazil’s Administrative Counsel for Economic Defense (CADE), seized on PaRR’s 2019 Spring Video Series as an opportunity…

Michal Cohen, Chief Legal Counsel of Israel Competition Authority spoke defiantly when asked why the regulator joins the US DoJ as two of the only regimes that will send participants to prison during PaRR’s 2019 Spring Video Series. Listen to the full interview to learn more about her views.  Cartel…

In its 2019 Spring Video Series, PaRR’s reporters sat down with some of the top ascending minds tackling the most importance competition policy challenges around the world. Amabelle Asuncion reflected on what she learned implementing the Philippine Competition Act in 2015 as well as the intuition gained after getting the…

WASHINGTON – Competition law enforcement across Central and South America is on the rise, with Brazil, Mexico, and Chile taking the lead, especially in pre-merger review, according to an expert. “Chile is very sophisticated,” Carolina Pardo, an antitrust attorney at Baker McKenzie in Bogotá, Colombia, says in this interview…

In the U.S. News & World Report article, “Don’t Worry About the AT&T-Time Warner Appeal,” Joseph Tipograph, Washington DC Bureau Chief of PaRR, provides insightful commentary on the Department of Justice (DoJ)’s appeal of the merger and why it will be a losing case for the DoJ.   Take a…

WASHINGTON – Building a competition bureau from the ground up requires many things, but enough capital to engage in lengthy litigation is essential, according to Hong Kong’s top competition official. Without it, “the relatively new agency’s needs possibly would be jeopardized,” Anna Wu, chairperson of Hong Kong’s Competition Commission, says…

WASHINGTON – The Mexican economy is concentrated in some markets, but not necessarily because of anticompetitive behavior, according to the top competition enforcer there. It might be due to either too much or too little regulation, says Alejandra Palacios Prieto, Chairwoman of COFECE, Mexico’s competition law enforcement agency, in this…

WASHINGTON – In the face of Brexit, competition law in the UK is undergoing massive change. “We are looking to scale up the size of our organization,” says Simon Constantine, policy director for the UK Competition and Markets Authority. In this interview recorded at the 2018 annual ABA’s Spring Antitrust…

WASHINGTON – A novel history, featuring mostly government owned and operated industries, as well as the inflection of international politics has created a monopoly problem in Israel, requiring the country’s antitrust authority to focus on unusual aspects of competition law, such as price gauging, according to a private practice antitrust…

WASHINGTON – Access to a national database of public procurement data in Portugal is helping antitrust officials increase their enforcement efforts, according to Margarida Matos Rosa, president of the Portuguese Competition Authority. With a decade of historical quantitative and qualitative data to draw from, Portuguese officials are able to track…

WASHINGTON – Japanese antitrust enforcers are finding ways to apply existing competition law to several unique challenges presented by the emerging digital economy, according to a top enforcement official. First among Japanese Fair Trade Commissioner Reiko Aoki’s priorities is protecting freelancers—also known as the “gig” labor force. “Freelancers are not…

WASHINGTON – The U.S.’s apparent suspicion about the potential anticompetitive nature of vertical mergers is raising eyebrows in Europe, according to Jacques Steenbergen, president of Belgium’s Competition Authority. “We always have the impression that the Europeans are more concerned about verticals,” he says in this interview recorded at the 2018…

WASHINGTON – Despite its ongoing economic crisis, Brazil has continued to invest in antitrust enforcement, according to one of its top competition officials. New technologies, a 25% increase in staff, and other resources are helping what Alexandre Barreto, president of the Administrative Council for Economic Defense (CADE), says is leading…

WASHINGTON – Since a competition ordinance in Hong Kong went into effect at the end of 2015, much has been accomplished, says the Competition Commission’s CEO Brent Snyder. In this interview recorded at the 2018 ABA Spring Antitrust Meeting, this former senior antitrust official at the US Department of Justice…

WASHINGTON – The past three-plus decades of antitrust enforcement have been too lax in the U.S., according to Diana L. Moss, PhD, president of the American Antitrust Institute. Hear how she views what should be done to “rebalance the scales,” in this video recorded at the 2018 ABA Antitrust Spring…

WASHINGTON – Data indicating simultaneous increases in concentration and in margins over the past two decades have led to a global debate over how to define “too big.” The European Commission’s chief economist, Tomasso Valletti, thinks that even though the literature is still nascent, there is enough micro- and macro-…

WASHINGTON – The current consolidation of China’s three antitrust agencies should result in more effective enforcement, according to attorney Zhan Hao, a managing partner with the AnJie Law Firm in Beijing. “I think after the consolidation, [the combined agencies] can concentrate their power into a focused area,” says Zhan in…

WASHINGTON – Pragmatism, standardized methods and transparency are three key priorities for the International Competition Network (ICN). “We’re very practically focused,” says Randy Tritell, who directs the Federal Trade Commission’s office of International Affairs, and who is an active participant in the work of the ICN. “We’re not a think-tank,”…

WASHINGTON – The world’s oldest competition law is on the books in Canada, preceding the US Sherman Act by one year. In this video interview, the head of Canada’s Competition Bureau John Pecman says his agency’s emphasis on corporate compliance and advocacy is growing. Pecman said the agency’s focus on…