The creation of a growing number of agencies at the EU level is one of the most significant developments in the administrative structure of the EU. These agencies play a useful role as they allow the Commission to decentralize a number of scientific, technical, or observatory functions to...

This paper provides a short overview of the regulatory challenges created by multi-utilities, i.e. companies involved in more than one utility sector. It discusses whether the sector-specific regulatory arrangements traditionally adopted by governments to regulate utilities offer a satisfactory...

In today's technology-driven world, industry standardization, component interoperability, and product-compatibility have become critical to promoting innovation and competition. Standards are typically created by voluntary organizations (generally referred to as standard-setting organizations...

Over the last few years, the European Commission and the competition authorities of a number of (Member) States have been busy investigating transactions leading to the buying/selling of premium content rights. These cases have been triggered by several factors. First, premium content...

Access to the network is one of the key tools used by regulators to stimulate competition in network industries. For instance, incumbents in the telecommunications sector, in the European Union and elsewhere, are typically mandated to grant access to their network to their rivals. Third-party...

On 15 October 2014, the European Commission adopted a decision finding that Slovak Telekom breached Article 102 TFEU for its refusal to provide unbundled access to its local loops, as well as its margin squeeze of alternative operators in the provision of unbundled access to its local loops. On...

Over the past three decades, Member States have created a variety of regulatory authorities, generally in response to the adoption of liberalization directives by the European Union. Because of the substantial power they enjoy and the importance of their tasks, it is widely recognized that it is...

Over the last ten years, the European Commission has been trying to increase competition in the postal sector. In order to achieve this goal, as well as other objectives such as the enhancement of the quality of postal services in the EU and the maintenance of universal service, the Commission...

Many competition lawyers and economists argue that the prime of objective of competition law regimes is to promote economic efficiency. Yet, few of these regimes define what should be understood by economic efficiency. For instance, although this concept is referred to in an increasingly larger...