Competition policy in the digital age: Balancing innovation and regulation

5 December 2023, Brussels
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Explore the programme

Highlights from the 2023 Edition

About the event

Join us on 5 December in Brussels for the European Digital Competition Day, a dynamic conference exploring the role of competition law and regulation in the rapidly evolving digital landscape, and what the latest developments mean for innovation and growth in Europe.
As the digital age transforms industries, economies and the field of law itself, this full-day event gathers thought leaders from all across Europe – including experts from the European Commission, national competition authorities, the tech industry, legal practitioners, and academia.

The event will be held in person. Participation is free of charge, although registration is required, and the discussion can be joined on social media using #DigitalCompetitionDay.
Register now
ⓘ

By completing this registration form, you agree to our privacy policy.

We may share your data with partners that host or (co-)organise our events insofar as this is necessary for specific purposes, such as logistics and security. Where these parties act as data processors on our behalf, we require them to process your data in accordance with this privacy policy.

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Who should participate?

  • Anyone with a professional interest in the future of European competition policy
  • Private legal practitioners
  • Representatives from National Competition Authorities and national courts
  • Public authorities dealing with competition policy
  • Industry representatives, trade associations, and in-house counsels working on competition issues
  • Economists
  • Academics

Programme

8:15–8:50
Registration & Welcome coffee
8:50–9:00
Word of welcome by the organisers
9:00–10:30
Panel I – New dynamics in merger control
  • Is merger control the key to preserving innovation in the digital era?
  • Laura Corbett (European Commission)
  • Bill Batchelor (Skadden)
  • David Foster (Frontier Economics)
  • Ben van Rompuy (Leiden University)
See the panel
10:30-11:00
Coffee break
11:00–12:30
Panel II – Ex-ante regulation
  • DMA in action: A game changer or regulatory overreach?
  • Thomas Kramler (European Commission)
  • Giorgio Monti (Tilburg University)
  • Karina Nimară (Stan) (Developers Alliance)
  • Laurens Vandercruysse (VUB)
  • Jon von Tetzchner (Vivaldi Technologies)
  • Petra Wikström (Schibsted)
See the panel
12:30-13:30
Lunch break
13:30-14:00
Keynote speech
  • Didier Reynders (European Commissioner for Justice & Competition)
14:00–14:20
Fireside chat
  • Stephanie Yon-Courtin MEP
  • Dom Hallas (Startup Coalition)
14:20–14:50
Coffee break
14:50–16:20
Panel III – Abuse of dominance in the platform economy
  • Article 102 TFEU in the digital age: Unleashing competition or restricting innovation?
  • Assimakis Komninos (White & Case)
  • Eliana Garces (Analysis Group)
  • Yann Guthmann (Autorité de la Concurrence)
  • Kathryn McMahon (University of Warwick)
  • Francisco Mingorance (CISPE)
See the panel
16:20–16:50
Closing remarks
  • Steven Verschuur (General Court of the EU)
16:50
Networking drinks

About the speakers

Keynote address
Didier Reynders
European Commissioner for Justice and Competition
Read biography
Panel I: New dynamics in merger control / Moderator – Ben van Rompuy
Laura Corbett
Case Handler, Directorate General for Competition, European Commission
Read biography
Bill Batchelor
Partner Antitrust & Competition at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
Read biography
David Foster
Director Competition Practice, Frontier Economics
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Ben van Rompuy
Assistant Professor of EU Competition Law at Leiden University (Netherlands); Managing editor of the European Competition and Regulatory Law Review
Read biography
Panel II: Ex-ante regulation / Moderator – Laurens Vandercruysse
Thomas Kramler
Head of the Unit Digital Platforms III, Directorate General for Competition, European Commission
Read biography
Giorgio Monti
Professor of Competition Law, Tilburg University (Netherlands); Part-time professor at the Robert Schuman Center of the European University Institute in Florence (Italy)
Read biography
Karina Nimară (Stan)
Director of EU Policy & Head of Brussels Office, Developers Alliance
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Laurens Vandercruysse
Postdoctoral researcher, Imec-SMIT, VUB
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Jon von Tetzchner
Co-founder and CEO at Vivaldi Technologies
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Petra Wikström
Senior Director of Public Policy at Schibsted
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Fireside chat
Stephanie Yon-Courtin MEP
Member of European Parliament, Rapporteur on the Digital Markets Act for the Parliament's ECON Committee
Read biography
Dom Hallas
Executive Director of the Startup Coalition (United Kingdom)
Read biography
Panel III: Abuse of dominance in the platform economy / Moderator – Eliana Garces
Assimakis Komninos
Partner, Brussels office of White & Case LLP
Read biography
Yann Guthmann
Head of the Digital Economy Unit, Autorité de la Concurrence (France)
Read biography
Kathryn McMahon
Associate Professor at the School of Law, the University of Warwick (United Kingdom)
Read biography
Eliana Garces
Senior Adviser at Analysis Group
Read biography
Francisco Mingorance
Secretary General of CISPE
Read biography
Closing remarks
Steven Verschuur
Judge at the General Court of the European Union
Read biography

The venue

The event takes place at the Sofitel Brussels Europe hotel (Place Jourdan 1, 1040 Brussels), conveniently located in the European Quarter.

To reach the hotel by public transport, there are several options:

Take Metro 1 or 5 to ‘Schuman’ station plus a five-minute walk
Take Bus 59, 60 or 80 to ‘Jourdan’ plus a two-minute walk
For drivers the hotel has a car park that is accessible at an hourly/daily rate. If it is full, there is a paid parking garage near the hotel called Parkbee (Chaussée d’Etterbeek 64, 1000 Brussels).

This conference is organised by the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA Europe), Lexxion, and the VUB’s Brussels Centre for Competition Policy and Brussels School of Governance.

5 December Brussels