Recidivism: a Commission fining policy that might not be hitting the mark

Summary The short version of this very long post is that the Commission’s current policy of applying the concept of recidivism to the highest level parent that exercises decisive influence over the infringing company appears to unduly punish undertakings that sell a large number of different products as compared to undertakings that sell only a […]

Defining a single and continuous infringement in cases with asymmetrical participation

Defining a set of conduct as a single and continuous infringement (SCI) has significant consequences for parties to a cartel, in particular for their exposure in follow-on damages actions. It is no surprise, therefore, that the increased prevalence of damages actions in Europe has led to greater scrutiny of the Commission’s findings about SCI. In […]

Something old and something new

As avid readers of social media, Politico, Chillin Competition and other places will know, I left the Commission at the end of February. On 4 April I joined Covington’s growing competition team in Brussels. I will continue to write on this blog – though experience has taught me to make no promises as to whether […]

An Emerging Competition Law for a New Economy? Introductory Remarks for the Chillin Competition Panel

This is a lightly edited version of a speech I gave at the Chillin’ Competition conference late last year where I gave the opening speech for the panel, “An Emerging Competition Law for a New Economy?” I begin with the usual disclaimer that I’m speaking in a personal capacity and my views are not necessarily […]