Conference programme

Competition law enforcers face an increasing number of challenges due to geopolitical tensions, digital developments, industrial policies, defence concerns and public policy considerations. In this session, competition enforcers from around the world will discuss recent and upcoming enforcement developments in the EU and globally. They will reveal how they manage to keep the plates spinning in all areas of competition law, including merger control, antitrust and technology regulation, in light of these challenges.

Gone are the days that merger control was the only hurdle to cross for international deals. Now, such deals face a multifaceted filing and scrutiny process. Not only is jumping through FDI and FSR hoops part of the game, but competition authorities also seem more open to sustainability, media pluralism, security and defence considerations in their merger control assessments. However, national governments need to be careful not to overstep the mark when taking measures to protect legitimate interests. This panel will focus on how to guide international deals through this regulatory maze unscathed.

The panel will explore the continuing intensity of antitrust enforcement in both digital and traditional industries outside the scope of the Digital Markets Act, with a particular focus on recent and emerging cases under Article 102 TFEU. Speakers will examine key themes shaping current practice, including the European Commission’s evolving approach to exclusionary and exploitative conduct, the anticipated impact of the Commission’s forthcoming guidelines on exclusionary abuses and the implications of major judicial developments, such as the General Court’s Android judgment for enforcement priorities and standards of proof. Against this backdrop, the discussion will assess how authorities are adapting established abuse frameworks to complex digital ecosystems, differentiated business models and evolving theories of harm, and what these trends mean for companies operating across multiple jurisdictions.

The current review of Regulation 1/2003 reads like a Christmas wish list. The panel will weigh up this wish list against their own practical experiences to determine whether expanded enforcement powers, an enhanced use of interim measures, the possibility of remote dawn raids, a broader exterritorial reach of requests for information and more sophisticated screening tools will indeed lead to swifter and more efficient procedures.

Competition damages actions are never dull, often accompanied with major follow-on and standalone damages cases, as well as landmark rulings by the EU’s courts. This panel will therefore cover recent judgments and upcoming trials in civil antitrust damages, as well as the damages actions slowly emerging from the enforcement actions taken under the Digital Markets Act (DMA).

Digital market regulations in Europe − particularly the Digital Markets Act and the Digital Services Act − are designed to limit the dominance of major gatekeepers, strengthen competition and enhance user protection. However, their implementation continues to face notable challenges. Meanwhile, digital market regulation in the US is currently characterised by a shift away from comprehensive, proactive legislation (like the EU's Digital Markets Act) toward a reliance on traditional, ex-post antitrust enforcement often influenced by political, economic and trade-related debates. Whereas in Africa, the COMESA Competition and Consumer Commission adopted new digital markets regulations in December 2025 aimed at overseeing gatekeepers operating within the COMESA region.

The panel will explore the current challenges facing digital market regulations, discuss ways to enhance regulatory frameworks and assess the effectiveness of these measures from both European, American and African perspectives. It will also consider how competition authorities can administer enforcement penalties, promote fair and balanced regulation without slowing innovation, address data privacy concerns and manage the interests of both gatekeepers and consumers.