Modernisation of European Competition Law: The Commission's proposal for a new regulation implementing Articles 81 and 82 EC

The idea of the Modernisation of European Competition Law had been launched by the Commission in late 2000 in a White Paper. The Commission proposed to decentralise the application of the EC competition rules: national authorities and judges would receive new competencies in this area. The modernisation process should dramatically change the scene. Current expectations are that there is a fair chance that the Commission's proposal will be adopted, with some amendments, by the Council before the end of 2002. Following the publication of the White Paper, the Leuven Centre for a Common Law of Europe decided to devote a conference to the subject of Modernisation of EC Competition Law in June 2001. At the time of the Conference, the modernisation idea had been followed by a draft Regulation implementing Articles 81 and 82 EC. This book contains the papers that were delivered at the conference. These papers examine the salient features of the proposed reform and discuss its consequences for European and national competition law and practice. Special emphasis is placed on private enforcement of EC antitrust rules. The editors added a general introduction, setting out the highlights of the modernisation debate, as it was conducted in Leuven. Therefore this book will help to understand this single most important reform of EC competition law since its conception. Contributions to this book are made by T.C. Arthur, Sir C. Bellamy, L. Cornelis, W. Devroe, H. Gilliams, L. Gyselen, K. Lenaerts, J. Stuyck, J. Temple Lang, M. van der Woude and W. van Gerven.