European Commission ("EC") issues its first fining decision for a no-poach agreement, and also sanctions for the first time the exchange of sensitive information between a company and its competing, non-controlling minority...more
6/9/2025
/ Acquisition Agreements ,
Anti-Competitive ,
Antitrust Violations ,
Competition Authorities ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Enforcement Actions ,
European Commission ,
Fines ,
Merger Agreements ,
Minority Shareholders ,
No-Poaching ,
Popular ,
Sanctions
Future prohibition on territorial supply constraints would expand EU law to prohibit certain unilateral conduct by large manufacturers....more
5/29/2025
/ Antitrust Provisions ,
Competition ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Goods or Services ,
Manufacturers ,
Proposed Regulation ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Retail Market ,
Retailers ,
Suppliers ,
Supply Chain
The European Commission seeks stakeholders' views on the guidelines for the application of the Foreign Subsidies Regulation ("FSR")....more
3/12/2025
/ Competition ,
Corporate Sales Transactions ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Foreign Investment ,
Foreign Subsidies ,
Merger Agreements ,
National Security ,
Public Procurement Policies ,
Regulatory Agenda ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Regulatory Requirements
The Situation: The European Commission ("EC") has released its first guidance on assessing market distortions under the Foreign Subsidies Regulation ("FSR")....more
The European Commission ("Commission") adopted an Industrial Carbon Management Communication ("Communication") on 6 February 2024, outlining the Commission's ambitions for a strategy to boost the deployment of technologies in...more
In Short -
The Situation: On July 10, 2023, the European Commission ("EC") adopted the Implementing Regulation ("IR") and the corresponding notification forms (Form FS-CO and Form FS-PP), which specify the information and...more
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
The foreign subsidies regulation ("FSR") requires prenotification of certain large M&A transactions and public bids involving companies that receive subsidies from governments outside the European Union ("EU")....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
Overview of the FSR -
The Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union ("TFEU") prohibits any form of public financial support selectively granted to businesses that distorts competition, absent an exception. The EU's...more
7/13/2022
/ Competition ,
Corporate Counsel ,
Critical Infrastructure Sectors ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
European Merger Control Regulation ,
Foreign Subsidies ,
Public Procurement Policies ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Regulatory Requirements ,
Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU)
Background -
The Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union ("TFEU") prohibits Member States from selectively granting public financial support to businesses that distorts competition and affects trade among Member...more
EU rules prohibit "State aid," unless the Commission authorizes the aid as compatible with the EU Treaties. State aid is a Member State funding measure imputable to the State and financed through State resources that benefits...more
2/14/2022
/ Climate Action Plan ,
Corporate Financing ,
Corporate Governance ,
Environmental Justice ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Green Deal ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Nuclear Power ,
Pollution Control ,
State Aid
The Background: The automotive industry has achieved a number of technological advances aimed at developing connected cars, automated vehicles, and ultimately autonomous driving. These innovations are expected to pose a...more
8/31/2018
/ Automotive Industry ,
Connected Cars ,
Driverless Cars ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
FRAND ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Internet of Things ,
IP License ,
Patents ,
Popular ,
Regulatory Oversight ,
Safety Standards ,
Telecommunications
The Background: The European Commission has opened an in-depth investigation into a specific provision of the UK-controlled foreign company rules.
The Issue: The Commission will investigate whether the UK's so-called Group...more
12/13/2017
/ Anti Tax Avoidance Directive (ATAD) ,
BEPS ,
Controlled Foreign Corporations ,
Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
European Court of Justice (ECJ) ,
Foreign Subsidiaries ,
International Tax Issues ,
Multinationals ,
Parent Corporation ,
State Aid ,
UK
The Ruling: The European Court of Justice recently provided widely anticipated guidance on the concept of excessive pricing, clarifying the use of key legal criteria in identifying an excessive pricing abuse under Article 102...more
10/27/2017
/ Competition Authorities ,
Copyright ,
Corporate Counsel ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
European Court of Justice (ECJ) ,
Excessive Pricing ,
Latvia ,
Member State ,
New Guidance ,
Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
The Ruling: A recent European General Court decision provided valuable guidance on applying abuse of dominance rules (Article 102 TFEU) in the context of software products and provided some welcome clarifications regarding...more
The German Federal Cartel Office ("FCO") provided guidance on several hot antitrust topics in July 2017. While the guidance is contained in the FCO's report on its sector inquiry into the cement and ready-mix concrete...more
In the European Union, Big Pharma has been operating with a target on its back for the best part of the last decade. Following its 2008 sector inquiry into the pharmaceutical sector, the Commission vowed to clamp down on...more
6/20/2017
/ Anti-Competitive ,
Antitrust Investigations ,
Antitrust Violations ,
Competition Authorities ,
Enforcement Actions ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
Generic Drugs ,
Italy ,
Pay-For-Delay ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Pharmaceutical Patents ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Price Gouging ,
Spain ,
Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) ,
UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)
In April 2017, the European Commission ("Commission") published a tender offer seeking an assessment of the EU market for loan syndication and possible implications under EU competition rules. The successful candidate will...more
5/22/2017
/ Anti-Competitive ,
Antitrust Provisions ,
Banks ,
Borrowers ,
Comment Period ,
Competition Authorities ,
Enforcement Actions ,
EU ,
European Commission ,
France ,
Germany ,
Government Studies ,
Infringement ,
Loans ,
Netherlands ,
Notice and Comment ,
OECD ,
Poland ,
Spain ,
Syndicated Loans ,
UK
The European Commission has introduced a new tool to encourage individuals to disclose anticompetitive conduct on an anonymous basis. Individuals are invited to supply inside knowledge to help the Commission uncover cartels...more