Blogs

There have been many relevant developments at a European level in the past few months regarding cartels, merger control, abuse of a position of power, and state aid. A brief list of the main cases is presented below. Read more >

ACM has been successful before the court on multiple occasions and is able to impose higher fines since 1 July 2016. What else is in store? Read more >

This sweltering sports summer has given the Netherlands a great deal. Not only unexpected Olympic medals, but also the awareness that a national sports association may play a crucial role in many respects in answering the question whether and, if so, on what conditions sportsmen and women may take part in matches. Read more >

As of 1 July 2016 the maximum fines handed down by the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) have risen considerably. This applies to infringements of all laws supervised by ACM. Notably, the maximum fine for infringement of the prohibition of cartels has risen, for both the firms and the individuals involved. Read more >

Franchising holds a special position in competition law. The main competition law aspects of franchise agreements are addressed in this blog. Read more >

New rules now apply in the field of net neutrality. Those rules obligate Internet Service Providers, in principle, to treat all data on the Internet the same. They are based on the European Net Neutrality Regulation, which must be applied as from 30 April 2016. Read more >

During the past year, the European Commission initiated several investigations into abuse of dominance. The activity of the Commission is in stark contrast to the activity of the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets where it concerns enforcement of the ban on abusing a dominant position. Will this change in 2016? Read more >