Corporate (and other) sponsorship of academic research in competition law

Co-organised by ASCOLA, the ACE, the CLES@UCL & Solvay Brussels School

At Solvay Brussels School
R42 Building – Room R42.4.110
50 avenue F.D. Roosevelt
1050 Brussels

on May 22nd from 5 to 7 pm (followed by a drinks’ reception)

In view of the recent publicity relating to the lack of disclosure of some academics in competition law and economics that they have received monetary payment (or other forms of compensation) by the industry (corporations and other private interests) in order to produce scientific work, the Academic Society of Competition Law (ASCOLA) has named a standing ethics’ committee with the aim to prepare a code for its members, but which could also serve as a model for the development of ethics’ rules in all areas of research activity related to the implementation of competition law.

In collaboration with the Association of Competition Economists (ACE), ASCOLA and the Centre for Law, Economics and Society at UCL are co-organising this public debate on “Corporate (and other) sponsorship of academic research in competition law: defining the problem, searching for solutions” to discuss the extent of this practice, the situations in which corporate sponsorship may become an issue for the integrity of academic research, the importance of promoting a transparent and fair debate in academia and, more generally, the impact of such practices on academic research, but also on the practice of competition law and economics. The public debate will also reflect on the way competition authorities and EU courts understand this issue, the implications it may have on their work, and the standards of assessment of expert evidence, in particular if this relies on published work.

Professor Ioannis Lianos (who chairs the ASCOLA committee drafting the code) will briefly present the philosophy and main provisions of the code, after which a general discussion will follow.

Chair: Denis Waelbroeck, Partner at Ashurst and Professor, Solvay Brussels School

Panellists

• Damien Geradin, Partner Euclid Law Firm, professor at the University of Tilburg; visiting professor at the UCL Faculty of Laws
• Pablo Ibanez Colomo, Professor of law at London School of Economics School of Law
• Bill Kovacic, Professor at George Washington University School of Law; professor at the Dickson Poon School of Law at King’s College London (To Be Confirmed)
• Ioannis Lianos, Professor of Global Competition Law and Public Policy, UCL Faculty of Laws; Director, Centre for Law, Economics and Society
• Penelope Papandropoulos, European Commission and chair of the Association of Competition Economists
• Alexis Walckiers, Chief Economist, Belgian Competition Authority; Solvay Brussels School
• Wouter Wils, European Commission and visiting professor at the Dickson Poon School of Law at King’s College London

Book your place