The Situation: The European Parliament and Council approved the Gigabit Infrastructure Act ("GIA") on 29 April 2024. The GIA replaces Directive 2014/61/EU. The GIA is a regulation which is directly applicable and binding in...more
China doubled its merger notification thresholds effective on January 26, 2024.
China's State Council recently published new merger control notification thresholds doubling the previous China revenue thresholds in an...more
On October 3, 2023, the European Commission ("Commission") unveiled a list of 10 technology areas qualified as "critical" to the European Union's ("EU") economic security, out of which four (Semiconductors, AI, Quantum...more
10/17/2023
/ 5G Network ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Biotechnology ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
Cybersecurity ,
Economic Reform ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Export Controls ,
Foreign Direct Investment ,
Foreign Investment ,
Investment Controls ,
Risk Assessment ,
Semiconductors
In Short -
The Development: The Court of Justice of the European Union ("ECJ") annulled a General Court ("GC") ruling that had adopted a high standard of proof for the European Commission ("EC") to block transactions in...more
8/15/2023
/ Antitrust Provisions ,
Competition ,
Corporate Counsel ,
EU ,
EU Merger Directive ,
European Commission ,
European Court of Justice (ECJ) ,
Horizontal Mergers ,
Judicial Review ,
Merger Controls ,
UK
In Short -
The Situation: On 27 March 2023, the European Commission ("Commission") published a Communication amending its 2008 Guidance on enforcement priorities concerning exclusionary abuses ("amended 2008 Guidance...more
In Short -
The Situation: The European Commission has presented three initiatives to transform the connectivity sector on 23 February 2023 (the "Connectivity Package")....more
Across multiple continents and industries, artificial intelligence ("AI") is a topic of intense focus by governments, research institutions, investors, and corporations—from start-ups to well-established industry players. As...more
The Council of the European Union ("EU") adopted a new Directive to strengthen cybersecurity and resilience across the Union. -
Following the European Parliament's approval on November 10, 2022, the Council of the European...more
This Jones Day Global Merger Control Update highlights significant recent developments and changes in merger control regimes. In this Update, we review: (i) key changes to merger regimes in Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria,...more
On September 15, 2022, the European Commission ("EU") published a proposal for a Cyber Resilience Act, the first EU-wide legislation introducing a single set of cybersecurity rules for hardware and software products placed in...more
The European Parliament ("EP") and Council formally adopted the Digital Markets Act ("DMA") in July 2022, imposing new behavioral obligations on large digital platforms qualifying as "gatekeepers." The final agreement...more
The EC recently found that Hungary's veto of Vienna Insurance Group's ("VIG") acquisition of the Hungarian subsidiaries of the AEGON Group, an insurance, pension fund, and asset management company, breached EU merger control...more
Background -
Recent supply disruptions in the semiconductor industry have highlighted the dependence of many global economies, including the EU, on imported chips manufactured in Asia....more
3/8/2022
/ Business Disruption ,
Competition ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Domestic Industry Requirement ,
Economic Development ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Global Economy ,
Imports ,
Infectious Diseases ,
Infrastructure ,
Innovative Technology ,
Manufacturing Facilities ,
Microchip Technology ,
Public Funds ,
Semiconductors ,
Supply Chain ,
Supply Shortages
The EU General Court ("GC") annulled the European Commission's €1.06 billion antitrust fine imposed on Intel in 2009 for allegedly abusing its dominant position in x86 Central Processing Units ("CPUs") by offering loyalty...more
1/27/2022
/ Abuse of Dominance ,
Anti-Competitive ,
Antitrust Investigations ,
Antitrust Provisions ,
Antitrust Violations ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Customer-Loyalty Programs ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Intel ,
Technology Sector
The Development: The European Commission ("EC") recently released two long-awaited legislative proposals, the Digital Services Act ("DSA") and Digital Markets Act ("DMA"), that would significantly increase the EC's regulatory...more
The Situation: Although the deadline keeps getting extended, e-commerce merchants and payment processors across the European Union are racing to implement the strong customer authentication ("SCA") requirements of the Revised...more
In August 2020, the Anti-Monopoly Bureau of China's State Administration for Market Regulation released four long-awaited sets of anti-monopoly guidelines addressing issues relating to leniency, commitments, the automobile...more
10/26/2020
/ Administrative Authority ,
Anti-Competitive ,
Anti-Monopoly ,
Antitrust Provisions ,
China ,
Competition ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Monopolization ,
New Regulations ,
Regulatory Standards ,
Standard Essential Patents ,
State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR)
The Anti-Monopoly Bureau of China's State Administration for Market Regulation ("SAMR") released four sets of long-awaited anti-monopoly guidelines. This White Paper addresses the Guidelines on Application of Leniency Program...more
The EU General Court ruled that the Commission must demonstrate with a "strong probability" that the effect on competition is "significant" to block a merger that does not create a dominant company.
In a rare judgment, the...more
The European Commission recently launched two consultations that would expand its investigative powers and establish regulations for digital platforms. The Commission intends to close perceived gaps in its authority to remedy...more
In January 2020, the European Commission endorsed the Toolbox of mitigating measures agreed by the Member States of the European Union to address security risks related to the rollout of 5G. The protection of national...more
This week, the European Commission published white papers detailing its strategies regarding the use of data and artificial intelligence ("AI"). Several additional reports accompany the white papers and cover topics such as...more
The Development: For the first time in nearly two decades, the European Commission ("Commission") plans to impose "interim measures" to remedy perceived competition issues even though its antitrust investigation has not...more
The Development: The European Court of Justice ("ECJ") ruled that parent companies and economic successors can be held liable for damages caused by a subsidiary or acquired company in cartel cases. This significantly broadens...more
4/23/2019
/ Antitrust Provisions ,
Antitrust Violations ,
Cartels ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Corporate Liability ,
Damages ,
EU ,
European Court of Justice (ECJ) ,
Foreign Subsidiaries ,
Liquidation ,
Member State ,
Parent Corporation ,
Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU)
The Situation: An investigation launched in 2016 by the German competition authority was meant to determine if Facebook was abusing its market position with its imposition of "misleading" data protection policies.
The...more
3/6/2019
/ Abuse of Dominance ,
Antitrust Investigations ,
Antitrust Violations ,
Competition Authorities ,
Data Collection ,
Data Protection ,
Facebook ,
Federal Cartel Office (the FCO) ,
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) ,
Germany ,
Instagram ,
Monopolization ,
Prior Express Consent ,
WhatsApp ,
Without Consent