5.00 credits
30.0 h
Q1
Teacher(s)
Gerard Damien;
Language
English
Prerequisites
None
Main themes
Consumer law covers various fields of law, which it examines from the perspective of consumers. A choice is made of various themes to examine every year :
- safety of consumers
- food safety
- commercial practices.
Learning outcomes
At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to : | |
| 1 |
At the end of this course, you will be able to explain (e.g. to an entrepreneur) the key rules and concepts of EU Competition law, such as relevant market, restriction of competition, abuse of a dominant position, taking into account the case law and soft law studied during the course. When presented with a hypothetical set of facts, you should be able to i) identify whether EU competition rules apply, ii) if so, which substantive and procedural rules apply, iii) determine which authorities would be in charge of the matter and iv) outline the main steps of the reasoning to be conducted. You will be able to consider substantive and procedural issues both from the point of view of undertakings and from that of enforcement authorities. You will be able to research European courts case law and Commission decisions. |
Content
This course presents EU competition law in political, economic and comparative context. It combines analyses from key EU rulings with discussions of enforcement policy issues and comparisons with US antitrust cases.
Over 30 hours, the course will explore the tools used by competition authorities in Europe: to punish cartels that fix prices or divide markets; to assess cooperative agreements between rival firms and supplier–customer relationships; to establish a dominant position and find abuses; and to review the competitive effects of mergers and acquisitions. The course will also explain how authorities determine when business restraints infringe on the principles governing the EU internal market, and when Member States contravene the rules protecting the European competition system.
Hence, the course aims to provide a rounded account of the various dimensions of EU competition law, of its place at the heart of the EU market integration project and of its relevance for the enforcement of antitrust principles worldwide.
Key features:
• reviews all important competition decisions and judgments of the European Commission and the EU Courts
• explains the critical nuances of cases by means of contextual explanations
• integrates law, economics and other policies, providing a holistic sense of competition law and its place in the European system
• compares EU competition law with US antitrust law, analysing the root of their differences and enabling students to derive comparative insights
Over 30 hours, the course will explore the tools used by competition authorities in Europe: to punish cartels that fix prices or divide markets; to assess cooperative agreements between rival firms and supplier–customer relationships; to establish a dominant position and find abuses; and to review the competitive effects of mergers and acquisitions. The course will also explain how authorities determine when business restraints infringe on the principles governing the EU internal market, and when Member States contravene the rules protecting the European competition system.
Hence, the course aims to provide a rounded account of the various dimensions of EU competition law, of its place at the heart of the EU market integration project and of its relevance for the enforcement of antitrust principles worldwide.
Key features:
• reviews all important competition decisions and judgments of the European Commission and the EU Courts
• explains the critical nuances of cases by means of contextual explanations
• integrates law, economics and other policies, providing a holistic sense of competition law and its place in the European system
• compares EU competition law with US antitrust law, analysing the root of their differences and enabling students to derive comparative insights
Teaching methods
This course is lecture-based. You will have to prepare readings, questions and sometimes exercises before class and be ready to discuss them in class. Specific instructions will be posted on Moodle.
Evaluation methods
The evaluation of this course will take the form of a two-hour written examination divided into three parts:
- 10 multiple choice questions (10 points)
- a commentary of a case excerpt (5 points)
- a case study (5 points)
Online resources
Assignments and additional readings will be available on Moodle.
Bibliography
Casebook (obligatoire)
Ce cours est enseigné au moyen du manuel suivant:This course is thaught using the following casebook:
E. Fox and D. Gerard, EU Competition Law - Cases, Text and Context, Edward Elgar, 2017 (new edition coming up in 2023).
Faculty or entity
BUDR
