Trends for 2019

ACM is threatening to hand out more fines and has promised to process cases faster. If ACM suits its actions to its words, 2019 will be all about competition law. Plenty of challenges for ACM, therefore. Will it get a handle on alleged restraints of trade in the digital world? Will ACM be able to successfully take action against vertical agreements? What will ACM and the NZa do about expensive medicines? What approach will the NZa and ACM take to healthcare mergers and the duty of care of healthcare insurers? Meanwhile, the European Commission has stated that it is in favour of a Digital Single Market. The Commission has stated that it considered geo-blocking a serious violation and, partly for that reason, imposed a €40 million fine on Guess. Is that the end of the matter or only the beginning? How will the Commission and other competition authorities handle political pressure to give the go-ahead to certain mergers to create a European or national champion? Will that again lead to a prohibition, as in the case of the merger of train builders Siemens and Alstom? How will ACM view the acquisition of PostNL and Sandd? And will ACM continue to focus on the enforcement of consumer law? In sum, 2019 is already an interesting year from the perspective of economic market regulation. As you have come to expect of us, a summary of the main upcoming developments is provided below.


ACM is threatening to hand out more fines and has promised to process cases faster. If ACM suits its actions to its words, 2019 will be all about competition law. Plenty of challenges for ACM, therefore. Will it get a handle on alleged restraints of trade in the digital world? Will ACM be able to successfully take action against vertical agreements? What will ACM and the NZa do about expensive medicines? What approach will the NZa and ACM take to healthcare mergers and the duty of care of healthcare insurers? Meanwhile, the European Commission has stated that it is in favour of a Digital Single Market. The Commission has stated that it considered geo-blocking a serious violation and, partly for that reason, imposed a €40 million fine on Guess. Is that the end of the matter or only the beginning? How will the Commission and other competition authorities handle political pressure to give the go-ahead to certain mergers to create a European or national champion? Will that again lead to a prohibition, as in the case of the merger of train builders Siemens and Alstom? How will ACM view the acquisition of PostNL and Sandd? And will ACM continue to focus on the enforcement of consumer law?

In sum, 2019 is already an interesting year from the perspective of economic market regulation. As you have come to expect of us, a summary of the main upcoming developments is provided below.

Trends 2019

01 Cartel watchdog comes out of hibernation
ACM promises more and faster fines in cartel formation >
02 E-commerce and competition law
The Netherlands is no longer a safe haven for vertical restraints! >
03 Work to be done in consumer sales
ACM imposes more frequent and higher fines for breaches of consumer law >
04 The Services Directive
An effective weapon against unwelcome regulations? >
05 Stricter merger control in the Netherlands and abroad
Increasing political pressure on merger control >
06 Healthcare: ACM and NZa must pull out all the stops in 2019
Critical merger control, enforcement of cartel prohibition, supervision of contracting, and waiting times >
07 Tendering procedures still causing unrest
Youth services procurement proceedings are setting the tone >
08 Pharma and medical devices controversial issues at ACM and NZa in 2019
Expensive medicines on agenda of European supervisory authorities: what is ACM doing? >
09 Telecom and Media 2019
Convergence, competition and (limitless) content determine landscape in 2019 >
10 Cartel damage claims
The wind at their back again >

“A boutique firm that can easily compete with the larger firms” (Legal500)

Maverick news

Maverick again in ranking of top Dutch law firms >

Maverick assists Sandd obtaining approval for PostNL acquisition >

Fintech & PSD2: opening up the bank infrastructure >

See more on our website >
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Maverick is the independent and leading competition law firm in the Netherlands. You can come to us with all your questions regarding the powers of the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets the Dutch Healthcare Authority and the European Commission.

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Maverick Advocaten N.V.

Barbara Strozzilaan 360
1083 HN Amsterdam

T: +31 20 238 20 00
www.maverick-law.com

Information

More information about this subject? Don't hesitate to contact one of us:

Diederik Schrijvershof

T +31 20 238 20 03
M +31 6 81 364 318

Martijn van de Hel

T +31 20 238 20 02
M +31 6 21 210 853