This newsletter is a summary of the antitrust developments we think are most interesting to your business. David Higbee (Global Head of Antitrust) and Dominic Long (Global Deputy Head of Antitrust) are our editors this month....more
In a significant development for French merger control, on May 2, 2024 the French Competition Authority applied the jurisprudence laid down in the recent Towercast case to an alleged anti-competitive agreement matter in the...more
The French Competition Authority (“FCA”) is committed to an “open door” policy to support companies wishing to pursue projects around sustainable development. Continuing its informal policy since 2020, the FCA has published a...more
1. CONTENTIEUX - NON-RESPECT DES ENGAGEMENTS : GOOGLE SANCTIONNÉE À HAUTEUR DE 250 MILLIONS DANS L’AFFAIRE DES DROITS VOISINS - Par la décision n°24-D-03 du 15 mars 2024, Google est sanctionnée par l’Autorité de la...more
The European Commission (EC) has published its latest report on competition enforcement in medicines and medical products. Key takeaways are that: EU and Member State authorities imposed multiple material antitrust...more
In an important judgment handed down on 29 June 2023 (Case C-211/22), the Court of Justice of the European Union (the "CJEU") ruled that a vertical agreement to fix minimum prices does not necessarily constitute a restriction...more
1. CONTENTIEUX - PUBLICITÉ EN LIGNE : MESURES CONSERVATOIRES IMPOSÉES À META - Par une décision du 4 mai 2023, l’Autorité de la concurrence (ci-après l’ « Autorité ») a prononcé des mesures conservatoires à l’encontre...more
Trucks, trucks, trucks – unless you’ve been living under a rock in the antitrust world, you’ve probably heard about, or even worked on, one of the many follow-on litigation claims related to the Commission’s 2016 cartel...more
On 16 March 2023, the ECJ published its judgment in Towercast (C-449/21), confirming that Article 102 TFEU (which prohibits abuses of a dominant market position) may apply to transactions which fall below national and EU...more
1. CONTENTIEUX - ACTION EN FOLLOW-ON : ABSENCE DE RÉPARATION POUR LES SOCIÉTÉS DU GROUPE COLAS DANS L’AFFAIRE DU CARTEL DES CAMIONS - Dans un jugement remarqué du 27 octobre 2022, le tribunal de commerce de Lyon a...more
In 2022, the French Competition Authority (the "FCA") maintained a high level of activity, focusing notably on digital markets, which remain one of its key priorities. Last year also brought the first successful failing firm...more
UNIQUE GUN-JUMPING CASE SANCTIONED BY FRENCH COMPETITION AUTHORITY - A new European gun-jumping decision, following the European Court of Justice 2022 Marine Harvest judgment, sends a very strong message to companies that...more
1. CONTENTIEUX - PREMIÈRE DÉCISION D’ENGAGEMENTS DE META - Par une décision du 16 juin 2022, l’Autorité de la concurrence (ADLC) a rendu obligatoires les engagements proposés par Meta, qui marquent, à notre connaissance, ...more
The EU General Court (“General Court”) has confirmed that the European Commission (“Commission”) can examine deals that do not trigger merger control thresholds in the EU or any EEA Member State[1] following a referral...more
On the 13 July 2022, the General Court upheld the European Commission’s decision to accept a referral from Member States under Article 22 of the EU Regulation n°139/2004 on merger control (“EUMR”) to review a deal that fell...more
The French Competition Authority ("FCA") has unconditionally authorized the acquisition of furniture retailer Conforama by Mobilux under the failing firm defence ("FFD"). On 8 July 2019, Mobilux group ("Mobilux")...more
The French Competition Authority ("FCA") fines a company for gun-jumping in a case relating to a progressive takeover and de facto control - On 12 April 2022, the FCA fined the Compagnie Financière Européenne de Prises de...more
Par une décision en date du 12 avril 2022, l’Autorité de la concurrence (l’« Autorité ») a sanctionné la Compagnie Financière Européenne de Prises de Participation (la « Cofepp ») à hauteur de 7 millions d’euros, pour avoir...more
Le 11 mars 2022, la Cour d’appel de Paris a infirmé dans son intégralité un jugement rendu le 31 mai 2019 par le Tribunal de commerce de Paris, qui avait condamné Google à indemniser un annonceur, la société Ulysse Service («...more
ANTITRUST AND COMPETITION - The French Competition Authority (FCA) Fined a Watchmaker for Obstruction of an Antitrust Investigation - On 9 July 2021, the FCA fined a watchmaker for failing to respond to a request for...more
Order No. 2021-649 of May 26, 2021 (the "Order") finalizes the transposition into French law of the European Directive so-called "ECN +" of December 11, 2018, which aims to strengthen the powers of national competition...more
The European Commission ("EC") is shifting its approach with respect to the referral mechanism under Article 22 of the EU Merger Regulation 139/2004 (the "EUMR") and now – at least in certain circumstances – encourages...more
On 27 January 2021, the French competition authority (Autorité de la concurrence or ADC) adopted a decision accepting commitments from the building block producer Lego France (Lego) to amend its discount policy. The ADC...more
At a time when the European Union and many Member States have just unveiled their hydrogen strategy, the French Competition Authority takes the lead in delivering the very first analysis of the emerging hydrogen sector in a...more
Both the French and German authorities are particularly active in merger control at the member state level within the EU. Companies should keep these jurisdictions on their radar in planning their next transaction, using...more