European Competition Law

ldreu2208  2023-2024  Louvain-la-Neuve

European Competition Law
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.
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
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)
The questions will be labelled in English but students are allowed to respond in French if they prefer. 
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, 2nd ed., 2023. 
Teaching materials
  • E. Fox and D. Gerard, EU Competition Law - Cases, Texts and Context, E. Elgar Publishing, 2nd ed., 2023.
Faculty or entity
BUDR


Programmes / formations proposant cette unité d'enseignement (UE)

Title of the programme
Sigle
Credits
Prerequisites
Learning outcomes
Advanced Master in European Law

Advanced Master in European Business and Economic Policy

Master [120] in Law

Master [120] in European Studies