The antitrust legal landscape is changing due to the transformation of the market environment in which companies are active. The application of traditional legal theories is being challenged by the existence of dynamic markets in digital sectors. Antitrust competition authorities are being forced to adapt their approach in order to deal with new types of potentially illegal conduct, particularly those committed by Big Tech companies. As a result of these developments national courts and EU judges dealing with antitrust cases are being called upon to provide appropriate legal guidance. Furthermore, experience has shown that the role of national courts is becoming increasingly focused on the private enforcement of competition law, especially in the field of cartels, under the EU Damages Directive. One particular issue is the collection and use of evidence by national courts, which should ensure an effective remedy for the consumers of cartel members while leaving the efficiency of leniency programmes unaffected.

This training will help national judges to prepare for the new legal and procedural challenges they may face when dealing with competition law cases. The two-day event will provide national judges with the specific knowledge and insights required when dealing with cases involving the application of Articles 101 and 102 TFEU. National judges will be informed of the latest legal developments in this area and will be given the opportunity to become familiar with the main questions that have recently been in the focus of the decisions of antitrust enforcers and courts.

The seminar will address, for example, the considerations affecting the judicial assessment undertaken in cases concerning (i) the interaction between privacy and antitrust (e.g., the German Facebook case), (ii) issues related to online platforms (e.g., the Amazon investigation, algorithms and exchange of information), and (iii) dominance and exclusionary abuses in dynamic markets (e.g., the Google cases).

This judicial training will be based on presentations, discussions between panel members and participants, as well as on hypothetical case exercises and experience-sharing, all of which will require the active participation of participants.

We encourage judges who have experience in competition law to participate. The seminar is open to national judges, prosecutors, apprentice judges and the staff of the judges’ offices working in one of the EU member States dealing with competition law cases at national level.

A good command of English is a condition of registration. Participation will be completely free of charge. The costs will be covered by funds of the Hungarian Academy of Justice and the Hungarian Competition Authority (GVH).

The national judicial training centres of the following countries have offered to directly participate in the selection of applicants: Croatia, Estonia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovenia, Bulgaria and Hungary. Please contact your national training centre for more information if you would like to register from any of these countries.

If your country is not listed above please send your registration form via email directly to Ms Andrea Dalmay at the OECD-GVH RCC (dalmay.andrea@gvh.hu).

One place will be reserved for one applicant from each EU Member State, but if free spaces remain these will be filled up irrespective of nationality. Applications will be judged on the basis of the individual applicant’s work experience and judicial tasks, as well as on the group’s composition as we would like to have a heterogeneous group in order to promote the exchange of ideas and experiences among participants.

Participants will be accommodated in the premises of the Hungarian Academy of Justice (Hungary, 1122 Budapest, Tóth Lőrinc street 6.) which will also serve as the seminar’s venue. The event organisers will take care of the reservations and cover the costs of the accommodation.

The seminar will start at 09:30 on 27 April and will conclude with the lunch at 14:00 on 28 April 2020. Participants are encouraged to leave on 28 April. If travel schedules do not permit participant to leave after the seminar, the organisers will provide accommodation for 28 April as well. Please note that limited number of rooms are available on this date. Participants will be invited to a welcome dinner on 27 April and will receive lunch on 27 and 28 April.

Participants shall arrange their own travel and their travel costs (economy class) will be reimbursed by the event organisers after the seminar. The cost of local transportation (taxi, airport shuttle, public transport) and the cost of travel insurance will not be reimbursed.

Please note that a condition of reimbursement is actual participation in the entire seminar.

The registration deadline is 23 March 2020. Applicants will be informed by 27 March 2020 if their registration has been accepted.

Should you have any questions about the event, please contact Ms Andrea Dalmay (dalmay.andrea@gvh.hu, phone: +36-1-472-8880).

Please forward this announcement to your colleagues who may be interested in participating.