The "Cyprus Conference on Competition Law – Key Trends and Developments" co-organized by the Commission for the Protection of Competition and the University of Cyprus, was successfully held on Friday, 08/03/2024, in Nicosia.
The conference was attended by lawyers, academics, government and independent authorities’ representatives, as well as students, who had the opportunity to hear from the distinguished speakers on all topical issues of competition law and policy.
The event was prefaced by the Chairperson of the Commission for the Protection of Competition, Ms. Eva Pantzari, the Minister of Energy, Commerce and Industry, Mr. George Papanastasiou and the Rector of the University of Cyprus, Professor Tasos Christofides. Coordinator of the event was the Director of the Service of the CPC, Ms. Olga Droussioti – Papachrysanthou.
The keynote speaker of the conference was world-renowned competition law academic and Emeritus Professor at King's College London, Richard Whish, who focused on Article 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) and, in particular, on the shift from a form-based approach towards an effects-based one, in the application of the aforementioned Article.
Ms. Sofia Stefanou, a case handler of the Directorate-General for Competition of the European Commission, presented the re-evaluation process and the relevant state of affairs of the Council Regulation (EC) 1/2003.
Subsequently, the Honourable Judge of the General Court of the EU and President of its Second Chamber, Ms. Anna Markouli presented the role of the EU courts in the evolution of competition law.
Mr. Jeroen Capiau, a policy officer of the Directorate-General for Competition of the European Commission, focused on the new European Commission Guidelines on the exclusion from Article 101 TFEU for sustainability agreements of agricultural producers pursuant to Article 210a of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013.
The speeches concluded with the lawyer and member of the Competition Law Committee of the Cyprus Bar Association, Mr. Polyvios Panayides, who presented the European Commission's new Block Exemption Regulation for categories of vertical agreements and concerted practices.
At the end of the conference, there was panel discussion among representatives of national competition authorities, namely the Director General of the Austrian Competition Authority, Dr. Natalie Harsdorf-Borsch, the Head of the Directorate General of the Hellenic Competition Authority, Ms. Athanasia Gavala, the Head of the Industry and Energy Department of the Spanish Competition Authority, Mr. Sergio Sinovas Caballero and the Chairperson of the CPC, Ms. Eva Pantzari. The discussion was moderated by the lawyer and President of the Competition Law Committee of the Cyprus Bar Association, Mr. George Mountis.
19/03/2024
Commission for the Protection of Competition
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