Competition News
May 2019
The complaint submitted by ArcelorMittal Galati SA against Deltanav SA was rejected by the Romanian competition authority. The decision is interesting both for providing one of the narrowest definitions of the geographic market (Mahmudia Port) as well as for the monopsony and buyer power versus monopoly on the same relevant market.
April 2019
The European Commission has published a Notice on the main implications for the application of EU competition law after UK’s withdrawal from the EU.
April 2019
The Romanian Competition Council has launched an investigation for bid rigging in the mining sector. Seven companies are suspected of collusive behavior by submitting a common bid with the aim to eliminate the price competition.
Since bid rigging is one of the most widely prosecuted forms of collusion, to avoid such a risk when submitting common bids in public procurement procedures in Romania, you should also have a look on the following guidelines:
http://www.consiliulconcurentei.ro/uploads/docs/items/id12037/ghid_consortii_final.pdf, and
March 2019
On 24 May 2019, Catalin S. Rusu, Associate Professor of European Law at Radboud University Nijmegen, together with his colleagues, will be organizing in Nijmegen the 4th edition of Radboud Economic Law International Symposium. This event will be focused on “New Directions in Competition Law Enforcement”. Should you wish to attend this event, you may find additional details here https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/4th-radboud-economic-law-symposium-new-directions-competition-rusu/
March 2019
Commission fines Nike €12.5 million for banning traders from selling licensed merchandise to other countries within the EEA. This restriction concerned merchandising products (e.g. mugs, bags, bedsheets, stationery, toys) of some of Europe’s best-known football clubs and federations, for which Nike held the licence.
March 2019
The European Commission has fined Google €1.49 billion for illegal misuse of its dominant position in the market for the brokering of online search adverts. Google imposed a number of restrictive clauses in contracts with third-party websites which prevented Google’s competitors from placing their search adverts on these websites.
February 2019
Despite the exceptional political pressure, the European Commission remains independent and takes the 29th blocking decision (since 1990 to date) under Article 8 (3) of the EU Merger Regulation in the Siemen’s proposed acquisition of Alstom.
January 2019
January 2019
January 2019
The European Commission has found that Romania needs to recover around €335 million incompatible aid from Oltchim, since the company’s failed privatisation in September 2012.