¹û¶³Ó°Ôº

The aim of the module is to study EU and UK competition rules and practice in an economic contextÌý

The module will analyse the fundamental provisions of EU competition law in particular Articles 101 and 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) and the EC Merger Regulation and to a lesser extent Chapters I and II of the Competition Act 1998 as well as the main provisions of the Enterprise Act 2002. The course will be caselaw focused.Ìý

During the course, we will take a comparative law perspective and we will provide examples from cases in other major non-EU jurisdictions (such as the United States, China, Japan) that highlight the specificity of the European approach in competition law.Ìý

Global perspectiveÌý

This is particularly important as EU competition law has served as the main model for many other competition law regimes in the world, including the UK competition law regime. It is also quite clear that EU competition law will be relevant for UK-based firms even after Brexit and that, in view of the important economic and commercial relations between the EU and the UK, EU-based lawyers will need to be familiar with the main principles and provisions of UK competition law.Ìý

For instance, mergers might need to be notified in both jurisdictions if, following Brexit, the system of one-stop shop for merger notifications to the Commission does not apply. The UK competition law system also includes innovative provisions on the criminalisation of cartel activity and the control of oligopolies through a system of market investigation references that may be emulated in other jurisdictions.  Ìý

A thorough understanding of all areas of EU and UK competition law will provide students from other jurisdictions a valuable perspective on their own competition law regimes.Ìý

The module will cover vertical and horizontal agreements, abuses of market power, merger control policy and practice.Ìý

Having successfully completed the module, students will be able to demonstrate a critical knowledge of substantive issues in EU and UK competition law with particular focus on:Ìý

• vertical and horizontal agreementsÌý

• abuse of dominant positionÌý

• merger control law and policyÌý