Conceptualising Transnational Corporate Groups for International Criminal Law

The enforcement of EU competition law in cartel cases : seeking effectiveness in divergence

La regulation de la concurrence est dualiste en France et au Canada. D’un cote, des autorites publiques de regulation encadrent le marche et sanctionnent le cas echeant les pratiques contraires aux dispositions legislatives en vigueur, et, d’un autre cote, les victimes de pratiques anticoncurrentielles, c'est-a-dire les consommateurs et les entreprises, peuvent intenter des poursuites privees sur le fondement d’une action en responsabilite civile afin d’obtenir la reparation du prejudice concurrentiel subi. Il s’agit respectivement de l’action publique et de l’action privee en matiere de concurrence, qualifiees aussi de public enforcement et de private enforcement du droit de la concurrence. Cependant, dans l’Union europeenne, et en France particulierement, le prejudice concurrentiel reste sans reparation effective. En effet, en France, les consommateurs n’avaient pas, jusqu’a l’adoption de l’action de groupe, de moyen procedural d’acceder au juge de la reparation. De plus, le droit civil francais se montre trop rigide pour permettre l’indemnisation d’un prejudice economique aussi complexe que le prejudice concurrentiel. Pour alimenter sa reflexion a ce sujet, le legislateur francais s’est souvent tourne vers les modeles canadien et quebecois pour reformer son droit civil bicentenaire. En effet, le droit civil quebecois se montre particulierement souple dans les litiges lies au droit de la concurrence. De plus, la Loi sur la concurrence canadienne offre un droit a reparation adapte aux contraintes des victimes de pratiques anticoncurrentielles. L’auteur a ainsi cherche a comprendre comment fonctionne le mecanisme canadien de private enforcement pour evaluer si ce modele, par le truchement du droit civil quebecois, pourrait inspirer une reforme du modele civiliste francais adopte par le legislateur notamment lors de l’introduction de l’action de groupe. L’analyse se situe principalement en droit civil pour permettre une lecture de l’action privee qui s’eloigne des stereotypes classiques tires de l’experience americaine dans ce domaine. L’objectif ultime de cette comparaison est de rendre effectif le recours prive des entreprises et des consommateurs en droits francais et canadien a la suite d’un prejudice decoulant d’une violation du droit des pratiques anticoncurrentielles.

https://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-01175493/document

L'action privée en droit des pratiques anticoncurrentielles : pour un recours effectif des entreprises et des consommateurs en droits français et canadien

This thesis examines the current design of the system of case resolution mechanisms used by the European Commission (the Commission) where an infringement of Articles 101 and 102 TFEU is suspected ...

Between Enforcement and Regulation : A Study of the System of Case Resolution Mechanisms Used by the European Commission in the Enforcement of Articles 101 and 102 TFEU

Based on a unique and comprehensive database, The Shaping of EU Competition Law combines qualitative and quantitative approaches to shed light on the evolution of EU competition law. It brings a new perspective to some of the most topical issues in the field including due process and the intensity of judicial review. The author's main purpose is to examine how the institutional structure influences the substance of EU competition law provisions. He seeks to identify patterns in the behaviour of the European Commission and the EU Courts and how they interact with each other. In particular, his analysis considers how the European Commission reacts to the case law and whether, and in what instances, the EU courts defer to the analysis of the administrative authority. The analysis is supported by the database and an unprecedented array of statistics and figures free to view online.

The Shaping of EU Competition Law

In numerical terms, 2012 was a relatively average year for the application of the law on fines imposed in EU competition law proceedings. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) and the General Court delivered 59 judgments and orders concerning fines, which obviously is not insignificant but marks a serious decrease compared to the 84 judgments and orders issued in 2011. This decrease was not compensated by a flurry of new Commission decisions, as in 2012 there were only four decisions imposing fines for infringements of Article 101 TFEU. In 2012 the Commission has apparently not adopted any decision fining a company for an infringement of Article 102 TFEU. This does not come as a surprise, as the development of the commitment procedure has meant that decisions finding infringements of Article 102 TFEU are now exceptional. Nonetheless, 2012 remains an important year for the application of EU law on fines. In TV and computer monitor tubes, the Commission imposed a record aggregate fine of E1.47 billion on seven groups of companies for two decade-long cartels. According to press reports, in the same decision the Commission granted a huge reduction of the fine—E219 million—on account of an undertaking’s inability to pay the fine. In 2012 the Commission also took the still relatively rare step of imposing a procedural fine to sanction obstruction during a dawn raid. At the judicial level, 2012 has also seen the consolidation of the body of law on the 2006 Guidelines. The General Court has delivered important judgments on the ne bis in idem principle, the conditions for partial immunity and recidivism. It has also clarified issues on which there is still little case law, such as inability to pay and the calculation of fines for obstruction, non-compliance with a decision finding an infringement, and gun jumping. On substance, 2012 will remain a gloomy year for undertakings. Obviously, not all new developments concerning fines were adverse to offenders. Undertakings will certainly welcome the Commission’s relative openness on inability to pay, which, as the TV and computer

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Eric Barbier de la Serre

Papers

The Law on Fines Imposed in EU Competition Proceedings: Faster, Higher, Harsher

The Law on Fines Imposed in EU Competition Proceedings: The Ever-Increasing Reach of SettlementsJournal of European Competition Law & Practice

The Law on Fines Imposed in EU Competition Proceedings: Consolidating the Foundations Before the Tide Goes Out

The Law on Fines Imposed in EU Competition Proceedings: Converging Towards Hazier Lines

The Law on Fines Imposed in EU Competition Proceedings: Fifty Shades of Undertakings