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ANTITRUST ALERT
A Global Resource for Compliance Officers & Legal Advisors
ANTITRUST ALERT
A Global Resource for Compliance Officers & Legal Advisors
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Changes to Polish Antimonopoly Law in a Nutshell

by | Jan 19, 2017 | , , ,

The Polish Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (Urząd Ochrony Konkurencji i Konsumentów, “UOKiK”) has recently published its 2015 annual report presenting its first experiences with the recent amendments to Polish merger control regulations. However, only future developments will show the effects of the new much more severe rules on cartel infringement proceedings and sanctions for cartel behaviour.

On 18 January 2015 far-reaching changes to the Polish Act on Competition and Consumer Protection (Ustawa o ochronie konkurencji i konsumentów), alternatively named “Antimonopoly Law” (prawo antymonopolowe), came into effect. These have been made to close previously identified gaps and strengthen competition and consumer protection. In addition to important changes with respect to merger control and anticompetitive practices, the Antimonopoly Law as amended has introduced changes that allow for more open dialogue between undertakings and the UOKiK.

Faster and more flexible merger control proceedings

According to UOKiK’s 2015 annual report the average duration of merger control proceedings could be reduced by half despite the fact that the overall number of merger control proceedings increased. The average duration dropped from 57 days in 2014 to 34 days in 2015. Of all merger control proceedings that UOKiK completed in 2015 only three (of 235) were Phase 2 proceedings. This can be explained by the following amendments introduced in early 2015:

  • A new two-stage merger control process: Phase 1 (1 month) and Phase 2 (4 months). The waiting period may be extended by UOKiK in the event that UOKiK requires additional information and documents from the parties;
  • New approach in case of competition concerns: UOKiK informs undertakings about its competition concerns so that they may alter the proposed concentration to alleviate UOKiK’s concerns, e.g. through adequate remedies;
  • Approach towards remedies: Undertakings may request UOKiK that it refrains from publishing in its decisions the deadline by which divestments must be made;
  • De minimis clause extended: mergers and the creation of joint ventures explicitly (just like acquisitions of control already under the old law) do not need to be notified to the UOKiK if the turnover in Poland of each of the parties to the transaction does not exceed the equivalent of EUR 10 million in each of the two financial years preceding the transaction. The de minimis clause also applies to concentrations whereby control and assets are being acquired simultaneously.

Effective fight against cartels

New rules for more effective fights against cartels have been introduced but could not yet show any significant effect in 2015. The number of started proceedings (from 87 in 2013 down to 34 in 2015) and of leniency applications (from 10 in 2014 down to 2 in 2015) has dropped. UOKIK explains the reduction in numbers with the application of its new “soft approach” that contains inter alia best practices and the authority’s possibility to request undertakings to voluntarily terminate an infringement and to apply its best practices.

Nonetheless, one should keep in mind the following amendments to the law:

  • New provisions concerning fines on individuals: individuals can now [...]

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Finally Implemented! The Italian Council of Ministers Approves a Legislative Decree Implementing the EU Antitrust Damages Directive

by | Jan 17, 2017 | , ,

On 14 January 2017, the Italian Council of Ministers approved the Legislative Decree implementing Directive 2014/104/EU on certain rules governing actions for damages under national law for infringements of the competition law provisions of the Member States and of the European Union (the “Directive”). The final version of the Legislative Decree has not been published yet on the Official Journal. However, the key points emerging from it include:

  1. A strengthened mechanism of evidence disclosure in actions for damages related to alleged infringements of competition rules. In fact, the judge will have the power to request the defendant or a third party, including the Italian Competition Authority (the “Authority”), to disclose relevant evidence which lies in their control.
  2. The extent to which Italian courts will be able to rely on decisions of the Italian Competition Authority or other national competition authorities. For instance, an infringement of competition law ascertained by a decision of the Italian Competition Authority (or appeal judgment), which is not subject to further means of appeal, will be deemed to be indisputably established for the purposes of an action for damages brought before the national courts under Article 101 or 102 TFEU or under national competition law.
  3. The rules applicable to limitation periods for bringing actions for damages, as well as how Italian courts shall assess the joint and several liabilities of companies which are found to have infringed competition rules, and how they shall quantify the harm suffered as a consequence of the alleged infringements.
  4. The business sections of the courts of Milan, Rome and Naples, identified as the only competent courts for such actions for damages, including class actions.

According to the established Italian case-law, in case of actions for damages regarding alleged violations of competition rules, the judge shall use all available investigation means in order to address the obstacles faced by the claimant to access the relevant evidence in antitrust cases, and therefore apply broadly the rules on the disclosure of evidence and information requests (Corte Suprema di Cassazione, judgment no. 11564 of 4 June 2015).

On 26 November 2014, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union adopted the Directive, which entered into force 26 December 2014, setting 27 December 2016, as the deadline for its transposition at national level. On 27 October 2016, the Italian Council of Ministers approved an initial proposal for a Legislative Decree implementing the Directive and sent it to the relevant commissions of the Italian Parliament for their mandatory (non-binding) opinions. The Legislative Decree was therefore finally approved in the Council of Ministers’ meeting of 14 January 2017. Although it is difficult to predict the likely impact of the Legislative Decree, it will definitely provide a more certain legislative framework for companies and consumers interested in claiming damages on the basis of alleged antitrust infringements.

Gabriele Giunta contributed to this post. 



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Polish Competition Authority Supports UBER

by | May 13, 2016 | , ,

On 5 May 2016, the Polish Office of Competition and Consumer Protection (UOKiK) published a position paper in which it expressed its opinion on Uber’s operations on the Polish market for transportation services.

UOKiK has been monitoring and analysing the effects of the emergence of such online platforms on the Polish market and concluded that Uber (i) encourages competition, (ii) is beneficial to consumers and (iii) provides for innovative solutions.

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French Class Action Law Has Less Impact Than Expected

by | Feb 10, 2016 | , ,

Since the entry into force on 1 October 2014 of the provisions of the “Hamon” law of 17 March 2014, which introduced class actions into French law in relation to consumer and competition law matters, only six class actions have been brought.

The first action was filed on the date the new law came into effect by the consumer association UFC – Que Choisir against Foncia, a real estate group, to obtain compensation for the service charges levied by Foncia. The most recent class actions seem to have been brought in May 2015 by the consumer association Familles Rurales: one against SFR, a network operator that allegedly misled consumers as to the geographic coverage of its 4G network, and one very limited action against a campground operator who forced campervan owners to buy new ones after 10 years if they wanted to keep their plots.

Class actions are clearly not as popular as had been hoped, at least not yet. Indeed, of the (only) six procedures brought before the French Courts, four were brought around one month after the law came into effect, and all relate to consumer matters. One action led to a €2 million settlement intended to compensate the damages suffered by 100,000 consumers who had been required to pay excessive charges for elevator tele-surveillance.

The limited attractiveness of class actions is probably due to the strict conditions for bringing an action under the Hamon law.

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FTC Promotes Competition Among Professionals Through Advocacy, Enforcement

by | Jul 21, 2014 |

On July 16, 2014, Andrew Gavil, Director of the Office of Policy Planning at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), testified on the subject of “Competition and the Potential Costs and Benefits of Professional Licensure” before the House Committee on Small Business.  Gavil explained the FTC’s rationale for evaluating the competitive effects of different licensing regimes and described its strategy of promoting competition among professionals through a combination of advocacy and enforcement.

The FTC’s approach in this area is to evaluate the pros and cons of specific licensure regulations on a case-by-case basis.  In a nutshell, the agency recognizes that, “although licensure may be designed to provide consumers with minimum quality assurances, licensure provisions do not always increase service quality,” and indeed “may . . . discourage innovation and entrepreneurship” and “impede the flow of labor or services.”  Advocacy is an important component of the FTC’s strategy because state and local licensing regimes are often not actionable under the federal antitrust laws.  Instead, the agency utilizes tools such as comments, testimony, workshops, reports and amicus briefs to encourage policymakers to consider the likely competitive effects of proposed regulations.  Gavil noted a recent example in which, at the request of Chicago Alderman Brendan Reilly, FTC staff provided a comment assessing the potential competitive effects of a proposed Chicago ordinance creating a licensing scheme to regulate mobile ride-sharing apps.  The comment, available here, details how certain provisions of the ordinance might “unnecessarily impede competition in these services without providing any apparent consumer protection benefits,” for example, by placing licensees at a competitive disadvantage to traditional transportation services or by restricting innovative pricing models.

The FTC also keeps an eye out for opportunities to flex its enforcement muscle and discourage anticompetitive conduct by independent regulatory boards that are not protected by the state action doctrine.  For example, the Fourth Circuit last year sided with the FTC in a suit challenging the North Carolina Board of Dental Examiners’ practice of issuing cease-and-desist letters to non-dentist providers of teeth-whitening services.  See N.C. State Bd. of Dental Examiners v. FTC, 717 F.3d 359 (4th Cir. 2013), cert. granted, No. 13-564, 5014 WL 801099 (U.S. Mar. 3, 2014).  In particular, state agencies comprised mostly of industry participants who are chosen by other industry participants must take special precautions to avoid violating the antitrust laws.  Many of the examples of enforcement actions Gavil provided in his testimony concerned the healthcare arena, which is consistent with the FTC’s ongoing commitment to promote competition in that sector.

The text of the Commission’s prepared statement is available here.

 



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National Competition Authorities in Europe are Not Bound by The European Commission de Minimis Notice

by | Jan 10, 2013 | ,

by Philipp Werner and Wilko van Weert

On 13 December 2012, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) held that national competition authorities (NCAs) can apply European competition rules, and fine companies for an infringement of EU rules, even in cases where the European Commission considers that Article 101(1) Treaty on the functioning of the European Union (TFEU) is not applicable.

To read the full article, click here.



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UK Competition Regulator Issues Guidance on How Businesses Can Comply With Competition Laws

by | Jun 29, 2011 |

by Andrea L. Hamilton and David Henry

The UK Office of Fair Trading (OFT) has issued an overview of competition law and steps that companies can take to comply with competition law.  This advice was issued in response to the results of a survey carried out on behalf of the OFT, in which a sizable minority of the 2,000 businesses questioned claimed that they have not taken action to ensure compliance with competition law.  The OFT’s advice includes a four-step plan to achieving competition law compliance, and is accompanied by a short film depicting a dawn raid.

Highlights of the OFT’s written advice include the following:

  • Members of the Board and senior management should take responsibility for ensuring that firms do not operate anti-competitive practices
  • Managers should monitor work processes, including how employees interact with competitors, if they have access to rivals’ price or business plans, and whether the company has agreements with competitors that could allow unlawful practices to develop
  • Managers should also introduce new policies, ways of working and training to reduce the chance of unlawful anti-competitive activity occurring
  • Businesses should review their processes for identifying and counteracting anti-competitive risks.

This guidance underscores the importance that companies operating in Europe establish effective competition compliance programmes. 

The OFT’s "Quick Guide to Competition Law Compliance" is available here.



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