European Union: Antitrust/Competition Law

Die Europäische Kommission hat neue Leitlinien zum Behinderungsmissbrauch durch marktbeherrschende Unternehmen veröffentlicht, die erstmals als Selbstbindungsinstrument dienen und die veraltete Prioritätenmitteilung aus 2009 ersetzen. Diese Leitlinien systematisieren die aktuelle Rechtsprechung des EuGH und verfolgen einen formaleren, eingriffsfreundlicheren Ansatz mit widerlegbaren Vermutungen für bestimmte Verhaltensweisen.

EU-kommissionen har antagit nya riktlinjer för tillämpningen av artikel 102 FEUF om utstängande missbruk av dominerande ställning. Riktlinjerna sammanfattar utvecklad vägledning och praxis sedan 2009 och behandlar bedömningen av dominans, konkurrensbegränsande beteenden som underprissättning, rabatter, exklusivitetsarrangemang, leveransvägran och self-preferencing, samt möjliga objektiva motiveringar för sådana ageranden.

The European Commission has introduced comprehensive Guidelines on Article 102 TFEU addressing abusive exclusionary conduct by dominant undertakings. These Guidelines establish a three-stage assessment framework covering market dominance determination, competitive distortion analysis, and objective justification examination. The framework provides detailed analytical approaches for various forms of exclusionary conduct including predatory pricing, margin squeeze, exclusive dealing, and self-preferencing, wh

The European Commission's newly adopted Article 102 TFEU Guidelines on exclusionary abuses of dominance represent a significant shift in EU competition law enforcement. Legal experts and economists debate whether these guidelines truly provide legal certainty or introduce problematic presumptions that could chill innovation, particularly in the technology sector where they intersect with the Digital Markets Act.

Die Europäische Kommission hat neue Leitlinien zum Behinderungsmissbrauch durch marktbeherrschende Unternehmen veröffentlicht, die erstmals als Selbstbindungsinstrument dienen und die veraltete Prioritätenmitteilung aus 2009 ersetzen. Diese Leitlinien systematisieren die aktuelle Rechtsprechung des EuGH und verfolgen einen formaleren, eingriffsfreundlicheren Ansatz mit widerlegbaren Vermutungen für bestimmte Verhaltensweisen.

A Belgian court has suspended a €750 million casino concession after the contracting authority failed to include mandatory Foreign Subsidies Regulation notification requirements in its tender procedures. The ruling demonstrates that national courts are prepared to directly enforce FSR compliance obligations in public procurement, potentially creating new enforcement dynamics similar to those seen in State aid cases.

The European Commission's newly adopted Article 102 TFEU Guidelines on exclusionary abuses of dominance represent a significant shift in EU competition law enforcement. Legal experts and economists debate whether these guidelines truly provide legal certainty or introduce problematic presumptions that could chill innovation, particularly in the technology sector where they intersect with the Digital Markets Act.

A digital acquisition can face serious competition concerns even where the buyer and target are not close rivals. The General Court's September 2026 ruling in Booking Holdings v Commission demonstrates how a target may give an already powerful platform another way to reach customers and make it harder for competitors to challenge its position. This analysis examines the practical implications for deal teams evaluating cross-border transactions.

The European Commission has released comprehensive guidelines on applying Article 102 TFEU to exclusionary conduct by dominant firms, modernizing EU competition policy while codifying existing case law. These guidelines introduce analytical frameworks for assessing various types of anticompetitive behavior, including predatory pricing, margin squeeze, exclusive dealing, and tying arrangements, while addressing the role of presumptions and efficiency defenses in establishing abuse of dominance.