Conference

Leiden Competition Talk: Interim Measures in EU Antitrust Enforcement

Bo Vesterdorf
Jacques Steenbergen
Peter Schedereit
Carmen Verdonck

Date: Friday 21 April 2023
Time: 16:00 - 17:30
Location: Online

On Friday 21 April 2023, the Europa Institute of Leiden Law School is hosting an online roundtable discussion on the topic: “Interim Measures in EU Antitrust Enforcement: Challenges and Promises”.

This event is the third instalment of the Leiden Competition Talks on Regulation 1/2003 – a series of webinars on the functioning of the current EU antitrust enforcement framework, leading up to the 20^th anniversary of the entry into force of Regulation 1/2003.

Participants in the roundtable will be:

Peter Schedereit (Case Handler, DG Competition, European Commission)
Prof. em. Jacques Steenbergen (Former President Belgian Competition Authority, Prof. em. KU Leuven)
Dr. h.c. Bo Vesterdorf (Senior Consultant Herbert Smith Freehills LLP, former president of the General Court)
Ms. Carmen Verdonck (Lawyer and partner at ALTIUS).

The discussion will be moderated by David van Wamel, PhD Candidate (competition law) at Leiden University.

Registration for this event is mandatory. The login details to join the Zoom interactive webinar will be sent to registered participants the day before the event.

Click here to register

The participants in the roundtable discussion will focus on the use of interim measures in EU antitrust enforcement. Although the EU case law had already acknowledged the Commission’s power to impose interim measures, Regulation 1/2003 made express provision for this power. The Commission has, however, scarcely used this tool. In 2019 the Commission in Broadcom ordered interim measures for the first times in 18 years. The (dis)use at the EU level stands in stark contrast to the more frequent use of interim measures by some national competition authorities (NCAs), including the Belgian Competition Authority. This begs the question whether the legal framework set out by Regulation 1/2003 adequately enables the Commission to order interim measures. Are the conditions for ordering interim measures suitable? What lessons has Broadcom taught us in this respect? What relevant insights does the enforcement practice of NCAs provide? Also, considering the intrusiveness of interim measures, how can the interests of companies be sufficiently protected? Etc.

About the Leiden Competition Talks on Regulation 1/2003

Almost 20 years ago, Regulation 1/2003 brought fundamental changes to the way Articles 101 and 102 TFEU are enforced. As part of a broader review exercise of the “fitness” of EU antitrust enforcement, the European Commission launched a public consultation on the performance of this institutional and procedural framework. It acknowledges that in certain areas an update may be needed.

The Leiden Competition Talks on Regulation 1/2003 - a new series of lectures and panel discussions – provides a regular forum for thought-provoking discussion and reflection on the functioning of Regulation 1/2003, both at the EU and national level. It features leading academics, policymakers, regulators, and practitioners offering various perspectives on key aspects of the system of enforcement set out in the Regulation.

The bimonthly talks, which run until the 20^th anniversary of the entry into force of Regulation 1/2003, are organized by the Europa Institute of Leiden Law School. They are held as online webinars that are open to all, but prior registration is required.