INTERNATIONAL ENCYCLOPAEDIA FOR COMPETITION LAW
Edited by
Prof. Francesco Denozza; Prof. Alberto Toffoletto
Introduction
- Editors
- Outlines
- Links of interest
- News
- Events
OUTLINES
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
§1. General Background of the Country
§2. The Economic System
§3. The Legal System
§4. Historical Background of Antitrust Law
Part I. The structure of antitrust law and its enforcement
SOURCES OF ANTITRUST LAW
§1. National Sources
§2. International Sources
§3. Secondary Sources
a. Regulations
b. Guidelines
§4. Sources' Relation and Hierarchy
§5. Role and authority of precedents
SCOPE OF APPLICATION
§1. Territorial reach
§2. Special Sectors
§3. State owned Enterprises and Public Utilities
§4. Sensible Effect and De Minimis
OVERVIEW OF SUBSTANTIVE PROVISIONS
§1. Restrictive Agreements
§2. Dominant Undertakings
§3. Concentrations
§4. Other prohibitions
§5. Tests of illegality
a. Per se prohibitions and naked restraints
b. Balancing tests
c. Merger tests
OVERVIEW OF MAIN NOTIONS
§1. Undertaking
§2. Relevant Market
§3. Market Power/Dominant Position
§4. Agreements and concerted practices
§5. Restriction of competition
§6. Monopolisation and abuse of dominance
§7. Concentrations
§8. Joint Ventures
CONSEQUENCES OF VIOLATIONS AND ENFORCEMENT INSTITUTIONS
§1. Administrative Enforcement
a. The Antitrust Authorities
i. Formation, composition
ii. Investigating powers
iii. Adjudicating powers (ascertaining and sanctioning)
iv. Other institutional tasks (Consultancy to Parliament/Government)
b. Government direct enforcement activities
c. Other Administrative Agencies applying antitrust rules
d. Administrative fines
e. Administrative injunctions and other restrictive orders
f. Interim measures
§2. Civil Enforcement
a. Competent Civil Courts
b. Sanctions
i. Nullity
ii. Damages
iii. Interim measures
§3. Criminal Enforcement
a. Criminal sanctions for antitrust violations
b. Other application of Criminal Law to relevant conducts
c. Role of Prosecutors
d. Competent Criminal Courts
Part II. The application of the prohibitions
RESTRICTIVE AGREEMENTS
§1. Horizontal agreements
a. Cartels
i. Price fixing
ii. Market/client allocation
iii. Production/innovation limitation
iv. Group boycott
v. Collusion on other objects
b. Information exchange practices
c. Cooperation agreements
i. Research and development
ii. Specialisation
iii. Standardisation
iv. Joint production
v. Joint purchasing
vi. Joint selling
§2. Vertical agreements
a. Distribution
i. Exclusive distributorship
ii. Exclusive dealing
iii. Selective distribution
iv. Franchising
b. Technology licencing
i. Patent licencing
ii. Trademark licencing
iii. Know how and trade secret licencing
DOMINANT UNDERTAKINGS' PROHIBITED PRACTICES
§1. Exploitative practices
a. Excessive/unfair pricing
b. Discrimination
§2. Exclusionary practices
a. Predation
b. Tying
c. Rebates
d. Refusal to deal
e. Price squeeze
CONCENTRATIONS
§1. Horizontal mergers
§2. Vertical mergers
§3. Market/product extension mergers
§4. Pure Conglomerate mergers
§5. Joint ventures
Part III. Administrative procedure
ADMINISTRATIVE INVESTIGATIONS BEFORE THE ANTITRUST AUTHORITY
§1. Initiative
a. General sectors inquiries
b. Ex Officio investigations
c. Complaints
§2. Powers
a. Requests for information
b. Investigating and search powers
c. Cooperation with other State Institutions
§3. Right of defence
a. Content and notification of opening decisions
b. The proceedings: hearings, access to file, briefs
c. Statement of Objections
d. Final Hearing and Decision
VOLUNTARY NOTIFICATIONS AND CLEARANCE DECISIONS
MERGER CONTROL
§1. Preliminary filing obligations
a. Criteria and thresholds
b. Turnover calculation
c. Market share calculation
d. Other relevant notions
§2. Structure of proceedings
a. Preliminary assessment and full investigation
b. Time framework
c. Right of defence
§3. Clearance and conditional clearance
a. Conditions and undertakings
i. Content
ii. Timing
§4. Relations with other merger control authorities
a. Other authorities within the local Jurisdiction
b. International coordination
CHALLENGING OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE DECISION
§1. Competent Courts
§2. Time limits
§3. Scope of Judicial Review