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This article examines the scope of the activism of the General Court while exercising its so called unlimited jurisdiction in antitrust matters. It addresses three main questions: what is the exact scope of unlimited jurisdiction; what should the intensity of control in case of unlimited jurisdiction; and how does the functioning of control in case of unlimited jurisdiction looks in practice (how to readapt or recalculate the amount of fine and, if the court is prone to do this, how to replace the reasoning of the European Commission)
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The article explores the concept of the positive and negative obligations of the state in securing human rights, recognized in human rights literature, and in the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights. The concept is then applied to show the importance of securing freedom of expression in regulating Internet access services and enforcing pertinent regulations in EU Member States. The author is of the opinion that economic arguments should not overshadow the need to secure the freedom of expression of the end-users of Internet access services.
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EU law sets out some requirements in respect of data processing for direct marketing purposes. These requirements are included in particular in Regulation 2016/679 and Directive 2002/58/EC. The use of electronic communications means for direct marketing purposes has an impact on both the entrepreneurs and their clients’ rights, therefore, accurate interpretation of EU law in this respect and an appropriate implementation of EU law into national law in Member States as well as its appropriate application in practice, are essential. This article provides an analysis of the conformity of Polish law with EU law in respect of the use of electronic means of communication for the direct marketing of products or services similar to products or services previously sold or provided by the same entity. There are a lot of doubts in this regard. The correct evaluation of Polish law with the use of pro-EU rules interpretation is crucial, because Polish law provides severe sanctions for the infringement of provisions concerning the use of electronic means of communications for direct marketing purposes
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The aim of the paper is to present an insight into the challenges raised by digitalized and data-driven markets to competition policy and enforcement in the Big Data era. Focusing on the assessment of information exchange in the digitalized environment, traditional risk factors are analyized and it is argued that new risk factors can be identified. The paper provides an overview of relevant recent Hungarian case-law to examine the role of information exchange, taking place in a data environment that offers an increased amount of up-to-date and relevant market information for analysis. Further, the paper summarizes the enforcement responses to the demand-side challenges raised by online platforms, user interfaces applying new approaches and practices that can directly influence consumer behavior. The consequence is drawn that the extended economic and IT-related argumentation may affect the nature of proceedings and some new phenomena, as the role of secondary intermediaries, integration of online and offline market segments open new fields for assessment.
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This publication discusses the current state of the Polish leniency programme and the amendments required in order to implement the ECN+Directive (in particular in the area of specific conditions for leniency, individual sanctions, protection of leniency statements or leniency plus) as well as harmonisation flaws (primarily lack of one-stop-shop, universal language, failure to lay down rules regulating the reduction of fines or fully coordinating rules on immunity from individual sanctions, lack of harmonisation regarding applications in non-cartel cases).The a uthor’s view is that the Polish system in broad terms corresponds to the majority of the harmonised standards owing to soft harmonisation based on the Model Leniency Programme and the EU leniency programme. Further, the implementation will not bring about revolutionary changes, unless combined with de lege ferenda improvements and enhancements in the general level of anti-cartel enforcement
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In order to facilitate national competition authorities (NCAs) in their application of EU competition rules, the EU legislator adopted Directive 2019/1/EU. The Directive’s aim is to empower the competition authorities of the Member States to be more effective enforcers of competition law and to ensure the proper functioning of the internal market. The so-called ECN+ Directive introduces minimum harmonisation rules allowing competition authorities to have common investigative, decision-making (notably fining decisions) and enforcement powers. The Directive, furthermore, sets minimum safeguards for the NCAs’ independence, accountability and resources as well as harmonizes leniency programmes including the coordination of national leniency programmes with each other and with that of the European Commission. This paper critically analyzes the legal and policy developments that paved the way for the adoption of this Directive. Moreover, it examines the changes the implementation of the Directive is likely to generate in current Hungarian law and policy of competition protection. The focus of the paper’s assessment is on the institutional aspects of the Directive and the enforcement of Articles 101 and 102 TFEU, in particular the mechanisms for ensuring independence and accountability of the NCAs. Through the assessment of the Hungarian implementation, the paper aims to shed light on a broader context of the Directive and the enforcement of EU competition law in EU Member States. The paper shows that the implementation of the Directive may fail to translate into (more) effective enforcement without an effective institutional capacity on the side of the NCAs, and in the broader legal and constitutional context of competition law and its multilevel enforcement.
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Almost fifteen years after its adoption, the system of decentralized enforcement laid down in Regulation 1/2003 has shaped competition law in a way that could hardly be predicted, in terms of both magnitude and quality of the activities of National Competition Authorities. More recently, the so-called ‘ECN+ Directive’ was adopted to address the shortcoming of such system, namely aperceived lack of independence and accountability of several NCAs and a certain degree of divergence within the European Competition Network. In this scenario, the Italian Competition Authority has frequently been depicted as a well-equipped, independent and effective enforcer and – with a few notable exceptions – the international debate concerning such reform has mostly overlooked its possible impact within the Italian legal system. This paper aims to assess whether, and to what an extent, the ECN+ Directive should affect the enforcement of competition law in Italy and, in particular, those fundamental guarantees of independence and effectiveness that form the core of the rule of law in the field of EU competition law
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The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effects of Article 3 of Directive 1/2019 when transposing it by Member States. The incompleteness and vagueness of Article 3 of Directive 2019/1 could cause non-harmonization in the various EU Member States, especially those in Eastern Europe, of the right of defence for the defendant party in the antitrust procedure. More specifically, to avoid this effect, Member States must adapt to European standards. In doing so, the paper intends to shed some light on how the right of defence is protected by the European Commission during competition proceedings.
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This paper analyses the independence of National Competition Authorities under legislation before Directive 2019/1 and after Directive 2019/1. The aim of the paper is to find out whether Directive 2019/1 addresses the problem of independence properly or not. In order to answer the question, it discusses what does the term ‘independence’ actually mean, especially in the view of scholars. Several aspects of independence are identified. Subsequently, this paper zooms in on what are current imperfections when it comes to the independence of National Competition Authorities. The Antimonopoly Office of the Slovak Republic (AMO) is discussed in particular. The paper then finds out what are the requirements set out by Directive 2019/1 and whether these requirements address the imperfection identified above. The paper confirms that these imperfections are covered only partially
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In 2018, the ECN+ Directive was issued with a goal to grant stronger powers to national competition authorities while enforcing competition law. This article analyses how the legal provisions of the ECN+ Directive have already been implemented in the Lithuanian Law on Competition, and considers what further changes may need to be made in order to fully implement the ECN+ Directive in the national law. It elaborates on the legal challenges while implementing the aforementioned Directive and provides a critical view on some of the amendments that have already been made.
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In April 2018, the European Commission introduced a long awaited Proposal for A Directive on represented actions, which aims to modernize the existing European collective redress system. The aim of this paper is to answer the question whether the solutions put forward in this Proposal will improve the landscape of collective redress in the EU. For this purpose, I analyse the existing model of collective consumer redress in the EU, as set forth by Directive 98/27/EC, Directive 2009/22/EC and Recommendation 2013/396/EU; I also evaluate it from the perspective of its functionality with special consideration of key problematic issues. Against this background, I present the legal provisions put forward in the Proposal for a Directive on representative actions. The comparison of both legal structures makes it possible to give an answer to the question whether the proposed legislation can remedy the existing problems of the collective redress system and, thus, to answer the question whether it will contribute to strengthening the mechanism for the protection of collective consumer interests in the EU
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The judgement of EU Court of Justice in response to the request for a preliminary ruling by the Polish Supreme Court confirms that the principle of ne bis in idem, enshrined in Article 50 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, must be interpreted as not precluding a national competition authority from fining an undertaking in a single decision for an infringement of national competition law and for an infringement of Article 82 EC (now Article 102 TFEU). In that regard it can be concluded that the judgement does not have anything new and is just a confirmation of settled case-law. Unfortunately, this case represents a lost opportunity to review the ‘double barrier’ doctrine and to clarify if the relationship between European and national competition law is one of ‘bilateral specialty’ or not
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