2nd UCL | White & Case Brussels: Autumn Competition Law Conference

About the conference

A one-day conference organised by the UCL Centre for Law, Economics & Society with White & Case Brussels

on The moving boundaries of competition law: emphasis on digital markets

We live in interesting times for competition law. Competition enforcers, practitioners and academics all speak about the challenges of the digital markets and debate whether competition law enforcement has the appropriate tools to tackle the issues raised. Old doctrines and approaches are put into question and there is a great appetite for new thinking in competition law.

Following the successful first UCL/White & Case annual Brussels conference in 2018, this second conference aims to promote ‘outside of the box’ thinking. We will explore the following four challenges that raise important questions as to the moving boundaries of competition law in Europe, but also in other competition law systems. First, the interplay of competition and non-competition concerns becomes an important area of debate, in view of the calls to consider industrial policy, privacy and sustainability, among other, in competition law enforcement. Second, as a consequence of these broader concerns the way we conceptualise power may also change. What would be the new theory of power and metrics to develop? Third, the focus on vertical restraints becomes particularly important as fairness concerns put emphasis on value chains. Fourth, the appropriateness of the current enforcement framework and tools to provide effective remedies in the context of the fast moving digital economy.

Themes of the conference are:

• Competition and Non-competition concerns: rethinking the distinction
• Vertical restrictions in the digital economy: towards a new framework
• Rethinking power in competition law
• A new procedural framework for competition law in the digital economy

The speakers include:

• Andrea Amelio, DG Competition, European Commission
• Cristina Caffarra, CRA
• Victoria Daskalova, University of Twente [DOWNLOAD VICTORIA’S SLIDES]
• Pascale Deschamps, Oxera
• Felix Engelsing, Bundeskartellamt [
  File

  engelsing_-_online_restrictions.pdf
  ]
• Michal Gal, University of Haifa [DOWNLOAD MICHAEL’S SLIDES]
• Helen Jenkins, Oxera [DOWNLOAD HELEN’S SLIDES]
• Alfonso Lamadrid, Garrigues
• Šarūnas Keserauskas, Lithuanian Competition Council
• James Killick, White & Case [DOWNLOAD JAMES’ SLIDES]
• Assimakis Komninos, White & Case
• Deni Mantzari, UCL Faculty of Laws
• Giorgio Monti, European University Institute
• Ulf Oberg, General Court of the European Union
• Jorge Padilla, Compass Lexecon / Barcelona Graduate School of Economics [DOWNLOAD JORGE’S SLIDES]
• Nicolas Petit, Université de Liège / Brussels School of Competition
• Rupprecht Podszun, Heinrich Heine Universität Düsseldorf
• Patrick Rey, University of Toulouse
• Martijn Snoep, Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets
• Jacques Steenbergen, Belgian Competition Authority

The moderators include:

• Sir Nicholas Forwood, White & Case / Brick Court Chambers
• Assimakis Komninos, White & Case / UCL
• Jacquelyn MacLennan, White & Case
• Denis Waelbroeck, Ashurst / Université Libre de Bruxelles

View the Agenda and download the slides from the event

09:00	Registration
09.30	Welcome address Deni Mantzari, UCL | Mark Gidley, White & Case
Competition and Non-competition concerns: rethinking the distinction Chair: Assimakis Komninos, White & Case / UCL
09.15	Cristina Caffarra, CRA Šarūnas Keserauskas, Lithuanian Competition Council Nicolas Petit, Université de Liège / Brussels School of Competition Giorgio Monti, European University Institute Martijn Snoep, Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets
11.10	Coffee break
Vertical restrictions in the digital economy: towards a new framework Chair: Jacquelyn MacLennan, White & Case
11:30	Andrea Amelio TBC, DG Competition, European Commission Felix Engelsing, Bundeskartellamt - DOWNLOAD THE SLIDES Michal Gal, University of Haifa -  File gal_-_brussels_data_ecosystems.pdf Patrick Rey, University of Toulouse
13:00	LUNCH
Rethinking power in competition law Chair: Denis Waelbroeck, Ashurst / Université Libre de Bruxelles
14:15	Victoria Daskalova, University of Twente -  File daskalova_-_blind_spots.pdf Helen Jenkins, Oxera -  File jenkins_-_rethinking_power_in_competition_law.pdf James Killick, White & Case -  File jenkins_-_rethinking_power_in_competition_law.pdf File killick_-_is_there_really_a_gap_in_competition_law_-_brussels_21_november_2019_.pdf Jorge Padilla, Compass Lexecon / Barcelona Graduate School of Economics -  File padilla_-_platform_envelopment_strategies.pdf
16:00	Coffee Break
A new procedural framework for competition law in the digital economy Chair: Sir Nicholas Forwood, White & Case / Brick Court Chambers
16:20	Ulf Oberg, General Court of the European Union Alfonso Lamadrid, Garrigues Deni Mantzari, UCL Jacques Steenbergen, Belgian Competition Authority
18:00	Conference ends

 

The European Competition and Regulatory Law Review

The European Competition and Regulatory Law Review (CoRe) was launched in 2017 by Lexxion publisher. It reports on key legislative developments in the EU and its Member States, and analyses important judgments that shape the field of EU competition and regulatory law, in particular those by the European Courts, international courts and tribunals, and higher national courts.
Visit our website for more information and a special 2-for-1 offer: www.lexxion.eu/core.