Email this article Access to Documents in the Competition Law in the Context of Damages Actions for Breaches of European Union Rules
Abstract
Abstract. Damages claims (compensation) for breaches of Articles 101 or 102 of the Treaty (direct effect) create an important sphere of private enforcement of EU competition law. The Directive seeks to ensure the effective enforcement of the EU competition rules by optimising the interaction between the public and private enforcement of competition law and ensuring obtain full compensation by victims of infringements of the EU competition rules for the harm they suffered. However, the effectiveness of filing a civil action before the national courts depends on many factors, including in particular the extent of access to documents collected in connection with the public law. Practical implementation of these rules in the interest of economically disadvantaged individuals is far from consistency. In the article the accent has been put on the problem of access barriers victims of competition breaches to the documents collected in connection administrative action. Does the Directive remove the fundamental barriers to access to information? To ensure effective private enforcement actions under civil law and effective public enforcement by competition authorities, both instruments are required to synergy to ensure maximum effectiveness of the competition rules. It is necessary to regulate, adequately, the way the two forms of enforcement are coordinated. The mutual interplay at Union level will also avoid divergence of applicable rules, which could jeopardise the proper functioning of the EU internal market.
Keywords. Competition, Access to information, Damages, Effectiveness, Litigation.
JEL. K21, K41, L49.
Full Text:
Zotero
MendeleyReferences
Andreangeli, A. (2008). EU Competition Enforcement and Human Rights, Cheltenham, Northampton.
Ashton, D., & Henry D. (2013), Competition Damages Actions in the EU. Law and Practice, Northampton.
Bael, I.V. (2010), Competition law of the European Community.
Bar, v.C., & Zimmermann R. (2002)., Grundregeln des Europäischen Vertragsrechts, Teile I und II, München.
Birks, P. (2000). Three Kinds of Objection to Discretionary Remedialism, University of Western Australia Law Review, no 1.
Carpagnano, M. (2006), Private Enforcement of Competition Law Arrives in Italy: Analysis of the Judgment of the European Court of Justice in Joined Cases, C-295-289/04 Manfredi, Competition Law Review, No 1.
Case 170/83, Hydrotherm Gerätebau, EU:C:1984:271.
Case C‑231/14 P, InnoLux Corp. v Commission, EU:C:2015:451.
Case C-360/09, Pfleiderer AG v Bundeskartellamt, [2011] ECR I-5161.
Case C 365/12 P, European Commission v EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG, EU:C:2014:112.
Case C-453/99, Courage and Crehan, [2001] ECR I-6297.
Case C‑520/09 P, Arkema v Commission, EU:C:2011:619.
Case C-536/11 Bundeswettbewerbsbehörde v Donau Chemie AG, EU:C:2013:366.
Case C‑550/07 P Akzo Nobel Chemicals and Akcros Chemicals v Commission, EU:C:2010:512.
Case Kone AG C‑557/12, Kone AG, Otis GmbH and others, EU:C:2014:1317
Case T‑110/03, T‑150/03 and T‑405/03 Sison v Council, EU:T:2005:143.
Case T‑214/13 Rainer Typke v European Commission, EU:T:2015:448.
Case T 344/08, EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg v Commission, EU:T:2012:242.
Case T‑456/10 Timab Industries, Cie financière et de participations Roullier v European Commission, EU:T:2015:296.
Case Joined C-295/04 to C-298/04, Manfredi, [2006] ECR I-6619.
Cauffman, C. (2011), The Interaction of Leniency Programmes and Actions for Damages, The Competition Law Review, No 2.
Chassaing, É. (2013), Procédures de clémence et accès aux documents : de la défi ance à la conciliation?, Revue Lamy de la Concurrence Octobre-Décembre.
Commission Staff Working Document, Impact Assessment Report - Damages for breach of the shares EU antitrust rules, SWD (2013) 203 final.
Communication from the Commission of 9 July 2014, Ten Years Of Antitrust Enforcement Under Regulation 1/2003: Achievements And Future Perspective, COM/2014/0453, http://ec.europa.eu/competition/antitrust/legislation/antitrust_enforcement_10_years_en.pdf.
Competition and Consumer Act 2010 in Australia, C2011C00003.
Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2003 of 16 December 2002 on the implementation of the rules of competition laid down in Articles 81 and 82 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, OJ 2003, L 1, p.1.
Davis, J.P., & Lande, R.H. (2012). Towards an Empirical and Theoretical Assessment of Private Antitrust Enforcement, University of San Francisco Law Research Paper, no 17.
Denozza, F., & Toffoletti, L. (2009). Le funzioni delle azioni private nel Libro Bianco sul risarcimento del danno antitrust: compensazione, deterrenza e coordinamento con l 'azione pubblica (in:) Rossi Dal Pozzo F., Nascimbene B., Il private enforcement delle norme sulla concorrenza, Milano.
Directive 2014/104/EU on 26 November 2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council, which has lead to the enforcement of EU competition rules by optimising the interaction between the public and private enforcement of competition law, OJ 2014, L 349, p.1.
Emmerich, V. (2012), Kartellrecht, München.
Frąckowiak, J., & Stefanicki, R. (2011). Consumer law – prospective and actual standards, including the guarantees set out by procedural law. In what direction does regulation of consumer protection in the Polish law go? (in:) Consumer protection in the Polish law in view of effet utile concept, Wrocław.
Gillen, M.R. (2011). The Thai Trust for Transactions In Capital Market Act and Common Law Trusts Compared, Selected Research Papers and Abstractsm Bangkok.
Guirguis, A., & McCowan, M. (2014). Australia (in:) Ch. A. Varney, The Cartels and Leniency Review, London.
ICN Cartels Working Group. 2010 - 2011 Work Plan, http://www.internationalcompetitionnetwork.org/uploads/library/doc626.pdf.
Legislative Resolution of 17 April 2014 - the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on certain rules governing actions for damages under national law for infringements of the competition law provisions of the Member States and of the European Union, COM(2013)0404 – C7-0170/2013 – 2013/0185(COD, P7_TA(2014)0451).
Lenaerts, K., Maselis I., & Gutman, K. (2014). EU Procedural Law, Oxford.
Lianos, I. (2011). Competition Law Remedies: In Search of a Theory, Law and Governance in Europe Working Paper Series 14, Centre for Law and Governance in Europe.
Opinion Advocate General delivered on 3 July 2014 in case C-302/13 flyLAL-Lithuanian Airlines.
Piszcz, A. (2013). Sankcje w polskim prawie antymonopolowym (Sanctions in the Polish antimonopoly law), Białystok.
Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on certain rules governing actions for damages under national law for infringements of the competition law provisions of the Member States and of the European Union, Strasbourg, 11.6.2013, COM(2013) 404 final, 2013/0185 (COD).
Report from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions, Report on Competition Policy 2013 Brussels, 6.5.2014 COM(2014) 249 final, {SWD(2014) 148 final} part: Removing obstacles to effective compensation for victims of antitrust infringements.
Report on 27 February 2014 on public access to documents for the years 2011-2013, 2013/2155(INI), PE 524.641v02-00, A7-0148/2014.
Report on Competition Policy 2014, COM(2015) 247 final.
Resolution of 27 February 2014 on the situation of fundamental rights in the European Union, 2013/2078(INI).
Smits, C., & Waelbroeck, D. (2006). Le droit de la concurrence et les droits fondamentaux (in:) Les droits de l’homme dans les politiques de de l’Union européenne, Larcier.
Stadler, A. (2007), Collective Action as an Efficient Means for the Enforcement of European Competition Law (in:) Private Enforcement of EC Competition Law (ed. J. Basedow), Alphen aan den Rijn.
Stankiewicz, R. (2012). The Scope of Application of the Provisions of the Administrative Procedure Code in Competition Enforcement Proceedings, Yearbook of Antitrust and Regulatory Studies, no. 6.
Stefanicki, R. (2014). Prywatnoprawne środki dochodzenia roszczeń z tytułu naruszenia reguł konkurencji (Private enforcement means for breach of competition law), Warszawa.
Szpunar, M. (2008). Odpowiedzialność podmiotu prywatnego z tytułu naruszenia prawa unijnego (Responsibility private entity for breach of Community law), Warszawa.
Vandenborre, I., & Goetz, T. (2013). EU Competition Law Procedural Issues, Journal of European Competition Law & Practice, no 6.
Waelbroeck, D., Slater, D., & Even-Shoshan, G. (2004), Study on the conditions of claims for damages in case of infringement of EC competition rules, Brussels.
Walle, S.V. (2013). Private Antitrust Litigation in the European Union and Japan: A Comparative perspective, Antwerpen–Apeldoom.
Wils, W.P.J. (2003). Should Private Antitrust Enforcement be Encouraged in Europe?, World Competition. Law and Economics Review, no 3.
Zimmer, D. (2012) [in:] U. Immenga, E.J. Mestmäcker: Wettewerbsrecht, t. 1, München.
.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1453/jeb.v2i4.398
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Journal of Economics Bibliography - J. Econ. Bib. - JEB - www.kspjournals.org
ISSN: 2149-2387.
Editor: [email protected] Secretarial: [email protected] Istanbul - Turkey.
Copyright © KSP Library
