On September 14, 2024, China’s SAMR published streamlined notification and publicity forms for cases reviewed under its simplified merger review procedure (“Simple Cases”). The revised forms will take effect as of October 12, 2024.
Continue Reading SAMR Streamlined Merger Notification Forms for Simple Cases
On September 9, 2024, Mario Draghi, former President of the European Central Bank and former Italian Prime Minister, presented his report on the Future of European Competitiveness (the “Report”), with the objective to inform the work of the incoming Commission. Featured in President von der Leyen’s Political Guidelines issued in July,[2] and in several mission letters for the new Commissioners, the Report revived the debate concerning the competitiveness of EU companies in global markets.
Continue Reading Innovation, Resilience, Investment, and Scale: Draghi’s Vision for the Future of European Competitiveness[1]
On September 5, 2024, the European Commission (“Commission”) published a Staff Working Document[1] summarizing the outcome of an evaluation of Regulations 1/2003 and 77/2004, which govern the procedural framework for enforcing EU competition rules under Articles 101 and 102 TFEU (“EU Antitrust Enforcement Framework”). On the same day, the Commission adopted a report on the use of interim measures by National Competition Authorities (“NCAs”).[2]
Continue Reading The European Commission Unveils Key Findings on EU Antitrust Enforcement Framework and Interim Measures Report
In the latest instalment of Cleary Gottlieb’s Antitrust Review podcast, host Nick Levy is joined by Martijn Snoep, Chair of the Dutch Authority for Consumers & Markets. Their conversation covers an array of topics, including the role of sustainability in antitrust enforcement, merger control, consumer protection, digital regulation, and more.
Listen below, or select from the following links:
The Digital Markets, Competition, and Consumers (DMCC) Act, which passed on 23 May 2024, will introduce significant reforms to UK competition and consumer protection law and digital regulation (see our update summarising the main changes). In this post, we’ll take a closer look at the Act’s overhaul of the UK consumer protection regime.
Continue Reading Digital Markets, Competition, and Consumers Act: A Game-Changer for UK Consumer Protection
In the latest instalment of Cleary Gottlieb’s Antitrust Review podcast, host Nick Levy is joined by Damien Gerard, Prosecutor General of the Belgian Competition Authority. Their conversation covers an array of topics, including the agency’s enforcement priorities, enhanced capabilities, and new powers, merger control, sustainability, Big Tech, and much more.
Listen below, or select from the following links:
On April 17, 2024, the former Italian Prime Minister, Enrico Letta, published a report outlining the future of the EU’s single market (the “Report”).[1] Letta proposed significant reforms, including the addition of a fifth freedom to spur innovation, consolidation in key sectors to enhance global competitiveness, and a new framework for State aid governance.
Continue Reading Enrico Letta’s Report – The Future Of The Single Market
On 27 March 2024, the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) announced that fashion retailers ASOS, Boohoo and George at Asda (the Retailers) has signed undertakings to ensure that the environmental claims they make are accurate and clear (the Undertakings). The announcement was accompanied by an open letter to the fashion retail sector (the Letter). The Letter warns businesses to act in accordance with the CMA’s 2021 Green Claims Code and to take note of the Undertakings, or risk incurring significant monetary penalties once the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill comes into force (see our previous blog posts here, here and here). The CMA also indicated that it will be updating the Green Claims Code with specific guidance for the fashion sector.
Continue Reading Fashion Retailers Agree Not To Mislead Customers With Environmental Claims as the CMA Issues Warning Against Greenwashing
In the latest instalment of the Cleary Gottlieb Antitrust Review podcast, host Nick Levy is joined by Saverio Valentino, Board member of the Italian Antitrust Authority. The conversation covers Saverio’s first year in the role, the agency’s current priorities, merger control and FDI regulation, cartel enforcement, rights of defence, judicial review, and much more.
Continue Reading Antitrust Review Episode 23: In Conversation With Saverio Valentino
On February 27, 2024, the French Competition Authority (“FCA”) published its roadmap for 2024-2025 as every year,[1] outlining its enforcement priorities for the year ahead. The FCA emphasized the need to take action in the same key areas of interest as in 2023[2]: (i) the digital economy, (ii) sustainability and the ecological transition, and (iii) the protection of purchasing power.
Continue Reading The French Competition Authority publishes its roadmap for 2024-2025