Working Group on Competition Economics - New series of Bundekartellamt events

With the launch of the Working Group on Competition Economics the Bundeskartellamt today initiated a new series of events. At regular events in the future concepts and methods used in the authority's case practice as well as cross-case issues will be discussed with academics specialising in industrial economics and competition policy.

Andreas Mundt, President of the Bundeskartellamt: "Competition economics is an integral element of modern and effective competition law enforcement. Exchange with academics from this background is therefore hugely important for the Bundeskartellamt's work. With the Working Group on Competition Economics we have created a new platform to intensify and continue this dialogue on an ongoing basis".

In the kick-off event today an intensive discussion took place about the Bundeskartellamt's Guidance Note on Vertical Price Fixing in the Food Retail Sector, the assessment of production flexibility in current merger control proceedings and the so-called "No Single Buyer Rule" in the marketing of football TV rights.

The following academics participated in the event at the Bundeskartellamt's invitation: Professor Dr Tomaso Duso (German Institute for Economic Research, Berlin; Düsseldorf Institute for Competition Economics), Professor Dr Veronika Grimm (Friedrich-Alexander-University of Erlangen-Nürnberg), Professor Dr Justus Haucap (Düsseldorf Institute for Competition Economics), Professor Dr Kai-Uwe Kühn (University of East Anglia), Professor Dr Martin Peitz (University of Mannheim), Professor Dr Markus Reisinger (Frankfurt School of Finance & Management), Professor Dr Ulrich Schwalbe (University of Hohenheim), Professor Achim Wambach Ph.D. (Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW), Mannheim) and Professor Dr Christine Zulehner (University of Vienna).