On April 3, 2019, the Court of Justice ruled that a national competition authority can in a single decision fine a company for infringing both EU and national competition law, without infringing the principle of ne bis in idem (double jeopardy).[1]
Enforcement by Numbers
As the charts below show, enforcement by concurrent competition agencies has increased substantially since the ERRA came into force.[1]
Five Years of “Enhanced Concurrency” in UK Antitrust
In November 2013, David Currie – then Chairman of the CMA – identified the low volume of competition cases in regulated sectors: “These sectors account in total for some 25% of the economy. They are also typically characterised by monopolistic or oligopolistic market structures. This might suggest the need for more, rather than less, competition enforcement than in other parts of the economy.”[1]
The Hearing Officer for Competition Proceedings Publishes the Activity Report for 2017-2018
On March 22, 2019, the European Commission’s Hearing Officer published his Activity Report for 2017-2018.[1] The Report provides key statistics on the Hearing Officer’s activity as well as a useful summary of case law on various procedural issues.
Credit Agricole, JPMorgan Chase Lose Fight Against EU Releasing EIRD Decision
On March 21, 2019, the Court of Justice issued two orders dismissing Crédit Agricole’s and JPMorgan Chase’s applications for interim measures requested to prevent the Commission from publishing its decision in the EIRD cartel case.[1] The parties had appealed an order issued in October 2018 by the General Court,[2] which rejected the parties’ claims that the Commission should not be allowed to publish its decision on the cartel case while a court appeal against its publication is pending.
The General Court Annuls The Commission’s Decision In Tercas And Explains That Support Measures Adopted By A Private Law Consortium Do Not Constitute State Aid
On March 19, 2019, the General Court annulled the Commission’s decision finding that the voluntary intervention by Fondo Interbancario di Tutela dei Depositi (“FITD”) in support of Banca Tercas (“Tercas”) constituted State aid, granted in violation of Article 108(3) TFEU.[1]
Commission Launches New Online eLeniency Tool
On March 19, 2019, the Commission introduced eLeniency, a new online tool for submitting documents and corporate statements in the
The Commission Publishes a Paper on EU Industrial Policy After Siemens/Alstom
In a March 18, 2019 paper entitled “EU industrial policy after Siemens/Alstom: Finding a New Balance Between Openness and Protection,” the Commission’s think tank, the European Political Strategy Centre, responds to the “significant backlash against EU competition policy” stemming from its prohibition of the Siemens/Alstom merger in February (reported in the EU Competition Law Newsletter of February 2019).[1]
The ICA Accepts Commitments for an Alleged Abuse of Dominance in the Post-trading Sector: The Monte Titoli Case
On March 7, 2019, the Italian Competition Authority (the “ICA”) made legally binding the commitments offered by Monte Titoli S.p.A. (“Monte Titoli”), a subsidiary of Borsa Italiana (which belongs to the London Stock Exchange), active in the post-trading sector.[1] Monte Titoli’s commitments were found to address adequately the ICA’s concerns that the company may have infringed Article 102 TFEU by abusing its dominant position on the securities trading settlement market in order to squeeze competitors’ margins in the custody services market.
10th Anniversary of the French Competition Authority – Results and Prospects
On March 5, 2019, the French Competition Authority celebrated its 10 years of existence. The President of the Competition Authority listed her priorities for the coming years, which include the retail sector and purchasing alliances, digital economy, “predatory” acquisitions and reflection on ex post control, as well as the labour market and labour collective agreements.