During Whitsun week, Germany is always a bit in a holiday mode – especially when the weather is as it is. Rupprecht Podszun, however, keeps an eagly eye in any weather, so that nothing gets lost from the antitrust world. In his SSNIPpets today you have a chance to win big– so give it a read! Here are the SSNIPpets – small but significant news, information and pleasantries – our pet project! This is an English translation. You may find…
‘Most favoured nation’ clauses have been an antitrust battlefield for years with disputes in many European countries. Now the Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court has decided in favour of a hotel booking platform in its Booking.com-decision. The case concerns narrow ‘most favoured nation’ clauses in agreements between hotel booking platforms and hotels. Adrian Deuschle reports. Narrow and wide MFN-clauses Booking.com brokers hotel rooms to consumers. If a consumer does the booking with Booking, the platform earns a commission of 10-15 %…
Commissioner Vestager gives us a break after the European elections. She is antichambering her own affairs, so antitrust enforcement has been postponed for a few days. This gives Rupprecht Podszun the opportunity to look through the pile of paper on his virtual desk, which has grown far too high. Here are his SSNIPpets – small but significant news, information and pleasantries – our pet project! Market dominance Two observations on the European elections, since this was a competition : Several…
Premierenfieber in Berlin: Zum ersten Mal seit Änderung von § 42 GWB wurde ein Hearing zur Ministererlaubnis veranstaltet. Der Fall ist brisant, denn zwei europäische Mittelständler wollen gegen den Widerstand des Kartellamts fusionieren, um so etwas wie ein “European Champion” zu werden. Ein Fall für Altmaier! Für D’Kart berichtet Niklas Andree von dem außergewöhnlichen Termin im Bundeswirtschaftsministerium. Art der Veranstaltung: Öffentliche mündliche Verhandlung im Ministererlaubnisverfahren Miba/Zollern (§ 56 Abs. 3 S. 3 GWB) Ort & Zeit: Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie, Berlin, 20. Mai 2019…
In the 2019 European Parliament election, friends of antitrust law are looking forward to one question in particular: Are we seeing Margrethe Vestager again as the next President of the European Commission? That, however, is so speculative that we are entering more secure territory: Election promises. Maximilian Konrad has reviewed the party programmes for those for whom voting advice apps have too few questions on competition policy. Brexit, refugee crisis, right-wing populism, euro crisis – there is no shortage of…
Es gibt einen Buzzzzz in Berlin. Den gibt es immer, aber jetzt gibt es ihn für die 10. GWB-Novelle, die in den Hinterzimmern entsprechend vorwärts getrieben wird. In Berlin traf sich auf Einladung der Grünen Bundestagsfraktion nun eine illustre Runde, um über ein digitales Kartellrecht zu diskutieren. Lucas Gasser, Doktorand bei Professor Rupprecht Podszun, berichtet. Art der Veranstaltung: Fachgespräch der Bundestagsfraktion von Bündnis 90/Die Grünen Ort & Zeit: Regierungsviertel, Berlin-Mitte, 8. Mai 2019 Gastgeber: Die Bundestagsfraktion von Bündnis 90/Die Grünen,…
The proposals to change European merger control, in particular with a view to paving the way for national and European champions, keep irritating the competition law community. This week, the Financial Times published an Open Letter signed by 92 practitioners from law firms and economic consultancies and academics. D’Kart documents this contribution to the debate – with thanks to Vanessa Turner who started the initiative. The recent Franco-German proposals to potentially soften and/or politicize competition enforcement in the EU continue…
Everything is much easier when the sun is shining, Easter break was good, rabbits hobble through Düsseldorf’s city parks – freed from the burden of the Easter baskets, somehow even waste separation seems simple, and so do the developments in antitrust. It is only our very own Rupprecht Podszun who is unimpressed. Here are his SSNIPpets – small but significant news, information and pleasantries – our pet project! Diesen Text können Sie auch in Deutsch lesen, wenn Sie die Spracheinstellung…
Germany’s National Industrial Strategy 2030 emotionalised competition experts: The proposal by the German Minister of Economic Affairs, Peter Altmaier, contains questions and answers that can be called “controversial”. On D’Kart, we continue the debate with a contribution by Johannes Persch – after economists had their say and Altmaier’s Director General Philipp Steinberg. At the beginning of February, Germany’s Minister of Economics, Peter Altmaier, presented the National Industrial Strategy 2030 (“NIS”). It’s guiding principle is „size matters“. It speaks of international…
Paris ist natürlich die Stadt der Liebe – aber auch die Hauptstadt des französischen Kartellrechts. Florian Bien hat sich, in zweiterer Mission, an die Seine begeben. Anlass war eine Tagung zum Kartellschadensersatzrecht. Hier ist, pour les amis de D’Kart, sein Conference Debriefing. Tagungen zur Umsetzung der (überwiegend minimalharmonisierenden) Schadensersatzrichtlinie sind mittlerweile in Mode gekommen (siehe nur hier und hier). Das Thema hat unter Kartellrechtlern das Interesse an der innereuropäischen Privatrechtsvergleichung neu geweckt. Die Praxis folgt gebannt, bieten sich für Kläger…