On 10 September 2019 the UK Government published the text of a second Competition Brexit SI, the Competition (Amendment etc.)(EU Exit)(No2) Regulations 2019 (the new Regulations) which make a number of changes to the original Competition (Amendment etc.)(EU Exit) Regulation 2019 (the principal Regulations). The principal Regulations are discussed in an earlier blog post here. … Read more
On 10 September 2019 European Commission President-Elect Ursula von der Leyen presented her list of nominees for the next College of Commissioners, due to take office on 1 November 2019. In an unexpected turn of events, she has proposed that Margarethe Vestager continues in her current role as the Commissioner for Competition, alongside a new … Read more
On 6 August 2019 the UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) published an unwinding order requiring the reversal of post-completion integration steps taken in the completed acquisition by Bottomline Technologies Limited (Bottomline UK) of Experian Limited’s Experian Payments Gateway business (the EPG business). The order is intended to restore the market position to what it … Read more
On 26 August 2019, the Düsseldorf Higher Regional Court (DHRC) granted a temporary injunction suspending the German Federal Cartel Office’s (FCO’s) landmark abuse of dominance decision against Facebook, pending final determination of the company’s appeal. In an important judgment with potential ramifications for the enforcement of competition law in the digital economy well beyond the … Read more
On 16 August 2019 the Competition Appeal Tribunal (CAT) ruled that a public interest intervention notice (PIIN) issued by the then Secretary of State for digital, culture, medial and sport (DCMS) into two newspaper mergers was issued in time, but that the time limit for the Secretary of State to make a reference for an … Read more
Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd (K-Line) has received the largest criminal fine imposed under the Competition and Consumer Act, after pleading guilty to criminal cartel conduct in 2018. Justice Wigney of the Federal Court stated that the penalty “should send a powerful message to multinational corporations” and that “anti-competitive conduct will not be tolerated”. It is … Read more
The ACCC is at the forefront of the global debate on the implications and consequences of digital platforms for competition and consumers. In its final report, the ACCC has approached the challenges and opportunities presented by digital platforms by adopting a holistic approach that takes account of the close links between competition, consumer and privacy … Read more
There has been a flurry of transactional activity in the UK defence sector over the last week. These deals, and the public interest considerations they raise, will test the UK’s current approach to reviewing foreign investment in sensitive sectors. The acquisition of Rheinmetall Defence by BAE Systems: on 19 July 2019, the CMA published its … Read more
