Competition Law

Code:

LEC508

Acronym:

DC

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Law

Instance: 2004/2005 - 1S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Law
Course/CS Responsible:	ECONOMICS

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
ECO	19	Official Curricular Structure since 2004	4	2	4	-
GES	21	Official Curricular Structure since 2004	4	2	4	-

Objectives

The lessons goal is to give students expertise about competition protection on Community and national Law. We will emphasize the rules which identify the behavior of public and private undertakings which may affect the competition on common market. We will also consider the relevant rules on Member Sate activity, namely the State aids regime.

Program

I – INTRODUCTION
1. Competition law and the Portuguese economic Constitution
2. Objectives of Competition law
3. The national law and the community protection of competition
4. Supremacy of Community law and the direct effect of Treaty provisions

II – COMMUNITY COMPETITION LAW
1. Objectives and scope of application
2. Agreements between undertakings, decisions by associations of undertakings and concerted practices – article 81 ECT.
2.1. Concepts
2.2. The object or effect of preventing, restricting, or distorting competition within the common market
2.3. The effect on trade between Member States
2.4. Exemption under article 81 - 3 ECT
a) Individual exemption
b) Block exemption
3. Vertical restraints
3.1. The economic debate
3.2. The critique of the Commission
3.3. Exclusive distribution
3.4. Selective distribution
3.5. Franchising
3.6. Exclusive purchasing
3.7. Regulation 2790/99
4. Dominant position abuse (article 82 ECT)
4.1. Concept of dominant position
4.2. Concept of abusive exploitation
5. Merger or concentration control
5.1. Reasons for merger control
5.2. Articles 81 and 82 ECT and the merger control
5.3. Regulation 139/2004
a) procedural issues
b) substantive issues
5.4. Relationship between Community and Member State merger control
6. some particular issues about Community Competition Law
6.1. Intellectual property
6.2. Banking activity
7. Enforcement and procedure of Community Competition Law - Procedural issues
7.1. The white paper on modernization
7.2. Commission powers
7.3. National competition authorities
7.4. The national Courts powers
8. Public undertakings and those to which Member States have granted special or exclusive rights - Article 86 ECT
9. State aids - Article 87 ECT
9.1. The incompatibility rule
9.2. Criterions of application
9.3. Exemptions
9.4. Procedural rules – articles 88 and 89 ECT

III – NATIONAL COMPETITION LAW
1. The national rules – DL n. 18/2003
2. Characterization, objectives and scope of application
3. Undertakings practices
3.1. Mergers
3.2. Dominant position abuse
3.3. Economic dependence abuse
3.4. National authorities of control

Main Bibliography

CAMPOS, João Mota de, Direito Comunitário. O ordenamento económico da União Europeia, v.III, Lisboa, Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, 1997, pp. 487-641.

CRAIG, Paul/ BURCA, Gráinne de, EU law. Text, cases and materials, Oxford University Press, 3rd. Ed., 2003, pp. 936-1168.

SANTOS, António Carlos dos/ Gonçalves, Maria Eduarda/ Marques, Maria Manuel, Direito Económico, 4.º ed., Almedina, 2001, pp. 247-366.

Complementary Bibliography

ALVES, José Manuel Caseiro, Lições de Direito Comunitário da Concorrência, Coimbra, Coimbra editora, 1989.

ASCENSÃO, José de Oliveira, Concorrência desleal, Almedina, 2002.

CUNHA, Miguel Gorjão Henriques, Da restrição da concorrência na Comunidade Europeia: a franquia de distribuição, Almedina, 1998.

LOBO, Carlos Baptista, Concorrência bancária?, Almedina, 2001

MARQUES, Maria Manuel Leitão, Um curso de Direito da Concorrência, Coimbra, Coimbra Editora, 2002.

PAIS, Sofia Oliveira, O controlo das concentrações de empresas no âmbito do direito comunitário da concorrência, Almedina, 1996

PALMA, Augusta Ferreira, Das pequenas e médias empresas. Algumas questões (maxime, no direito da concorrência), Almedina, 2001.

PEGO, José Paulo Fernandes Mariano, A posição dominante relativa no direito da concorrência, Almedina, 2001.

RICARDO, Fernando Pereira, A aplicação dos artigos 85.º e/ou 86.º do TCE a título incidental pelos tribunais portugueses: a acção de indemnização por perdas e danos resultantes de uma violação dos artigos 85.º e/ou 86.º do TCE, Lisboa, AAFDL; 1999.

RUIZ, Nuno, «Relações entre o Direito Nacional e o Direito Comunitário da Concorrência», Documentação e Direito Comparado, 1989, pp. 315 ss.

SILVA, Miguel Moura e, Inovação, transferência de tecnologia e concorrência: estudo comparado do direito da concorrência dos Estados Unidos e da União Europeia, Almedina, 2003.

VASCONCELOS, Luís Miguel Pestana, O contrato de franquia (franchising), Coimbra, Almedina, 2000.

FAULL, J./ NIPAY A. (eds.), The EC Law of Competition, Oxford University Press, 1999.

MAHER, I., “Competition Law and intellectual property rights: evolving formalism”, in P. Craig and G. de Búrca (eds), The evolution of EU law, Oxford University Press, cap. 16.

KORAH, V., An introductory guide to EC competition law and practice, Hart, 7th ed., 2000.
_____ Cases and materials on EC competition law, Hart, 2nd ed., 2001.
_____ Vertical agreements: distribution under EC competition rules, Hart, 2001.

WHISH, R., Competition law, Butterworths, 4th ed., 2001.

Teaching methods and learning activities

Theorical/practical

Evaluation Type

Evaluation with final exam

Observations

Students will buy in Academic Association:
- Commmunity Law legislation
- Competition Community case law