7th International Conference COMPETITION LAW & POLICY

The 7th International Competition Law Conference, taking place on 11-12 October 2023, is the annual conference where competition experts, academics, specialized practitioners, in house counsel and members of national competition authorities and EU institutions get together to exchange their views & experiences and discuss on the latest developments in the field of competition law and practice at a national and EU level.

The Conference is organized by NOMIKI BIBLIOTHIKI and it is held under the auspices of the Ministry of Development, the Hellenic Competition Commission, the Hellenic Association of Insurance Companies, the Hellenic Exchanges Shareholders Association (SED) and the institutional support of the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises.

Watch here Past Conference Highlights.

Wednesday 11^th October 2023

15:30 – 16:00  Regirstations

16:00 – 16:15  Welcome speeches

Tzina Papantonopoulou – Karatza, Publisher, NOMIKI BIBLIOTHIKI

Aristotelis Panteliadis, Member of the Board of Directors of the Hellenic Association of Enterprises (SEV), Head of SEV Working Committee on “Competition & Market Issues”

16:15 – 16:30 HCC’s welcome speech

Ioannis Lianos, President of the Hellenic Competition Commission (HCC), Professor of Competition Law & Public Policy, Faculty of Laws, University College London

16:30 – 17:00   Keynote speech

Judge Anna Marcoulli, General Court of the European Union (Luxembourg)

17:00 – 18:15 1^st Session: Overview of last year’s developments from the regulators’ perspective

Coordinator: Alexandra Mikroulea, Professor of Law School, University of Athens

HCC – Changes in policy and soft law / key themes from the recent case law

Hara Nikolopoulou, Vice-President, Hellenic Competition Commission

“Connectivity” both as a primary policy objective and a means to ensure a fair and competitive digital economy

Developments and challenges for the Telecom Sector

Olga Nodarou, Attorney at Law, Legal Services, Hellenic Telecommunications & Post Commission

Digital innovation and competition policy issues in the banking sector

Christos Pilafas, Attorney-at-law, Bank of Greece

Q&A

18:15 – 18:30 Coffee Break

18:30 – 20.00 2^nd Session: Key antitrust developments from the practitioners’ perspective

Coordinator: Georgios Dellis, Professor of Public Law, Law Faculty, University of Athens

Recent developments on EU competition policy and trends of antitrust enforcement by the European Commission: new legislation and guidance; enforcement trends in cartels, abuse of dominance and other behavioral matters

Kyriakos Fountoukakos, Managing Partner, Competition Regulation and Trade, Herbert Smith Freehills

ΕU antitrust rules – recent EU court judgments

Stamatis Drakakakis, Partner, Zepos & Yannopoulos Law Firm

HCC enforcement of antitrust rules – major developments

Dimitris Loukas, Partner,  PotamitisVekris Law Firm

Q&A

20:00 – 23.00 Gala Dinner – Live music with singer

Thursday 12^th October 2023

 09:30 – 10:00 Registrations

10:00 – 10:15 Opening Introduction

Theofanis Christoforou, Former Director responsible for competition law & merger control, Legal Service, European Commission

10:15 – 10:45 Keynote speech

EU competition law - Data analysis and technology

Penelope Papandropoulos, Head of «Data analysis and technology» unit, (Chief Technology Office of DG Competition)

10:45 – 12:00 1^st Session – Do we lack Speed and efficacy in antitrust investigations?  Current challenges and new perspectives

Coordinator: Theofanis Christoforou, Former Director responsible for competition law & merger control, Legal Service, European Commission

Competition and Inflation

Antonio Capobianco, Deputy Head, Competition Division, OECD

Effectiveness of interim measures in antitrust investigations by competition authorities and national courts  

Despoina Mantzari, Associate Professor in Competition Law and Policy, UCL Laws

Developments in the area of abuse of dominance - Processing of personal data in the light of the Meta Platforms ruling of the ECJ and the draft guidelines of the European Commission on exclusionary abuse  

Giorgio Monti, Professor of Competition Law, Tilburg Law School

Q&A

12.00 – 12.20 Coffee Break

12:20 – 14:00 2^nd Session – Procedural check and balances – do we need to revisit the competences/structure/resources and funding of our regulatory authorities

Coordinator: Manos Mastromanolis, Professor of Law School, University of Athens

Investigatory measures: Recent developments in the case law, EU and national

Lefkothea Nteka, Partner, Lampadarios Law Firm

Do Regulators interact appropriately?

Avgitidis Dimitrios, Professor of Law School, Democritus University of Thrace

Settlement procedure: safeguarding the fundamental rights of undertakings in cases of hybrid settlement and other considerations

Dimitris Riziotis, Attorney at law, OTE GROUP (tbc)

Q&A

14:00 – 15:00 Lunch

15:15 – 15:45 Keynote speech

Henri Piffaut - Vice President of the French Competition Authority

15:45 – 16:40 3^rd Session – Merger control 

Coordinator: Anastasia Dritsa, Partner, Head of Competition & Antitrust Law, eCommerce & digital markets, Kyriakides Georgopoulos Law Firm

Merger control (with emphasis to Energy & electronic communications cases)/ EC case law and judicial review

Catriona Hutton, Partner, Baker Botts

Merger control / HCC case law

Nadia Skandali, Head Of Chief Legal Officer Unit at Hellenic Competition Commission

Q&A

16:40 – 17:30 4^th Session – state aid developments  

Coordinator: Ioannis Stavropoulos, Managing Partner, Stavropoulos & Partners

State aid policy issues

Michail Rodopoulos, Αttroney-at-law, Christianos and Partners Law Firm

Recent case law on how breaches of “other EU law” can affect the compatibility of State aid

Antonis Bouchagiar, Legal Service, European Commission

State aid and Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF)

Stamatina Haralampopoulou, Director of Administrative Support, RRF Coordination Agency, Ministry of Finance, Greece

Q&A

17:30 – 17:45 – Coffee break

17:45– 19:30 5^th Session – Competition law and Specific sectors

Coordinator: Lia Athanassiou, Professor of Commercial & Maritime Law, Law School of the University Athens, Partner, Athanassiou-Gerapetritis [suspended - Minister for Cabinet] & Associates - Law Firm

Airports and air transportation

Maria Ioannidou, Reader in Competition Law, Queen Mary University of London, Counsel, Koutalidis Law Firm

Ports and Sea Lines

Marina Androulakakis, Partner, BERNITSAS Law Firm

Hotel Platforms

Zamparas Themelis, Partner, Dryllerakis & Associates

Telecommunications Network sharing

Maria Kallidopoulou, Senior Associate, Karatzas & Partners

Q&A