Competition Workshop: 'Merger Control and Innovation'

Presentations: Download the attached PDF-files below!

Date/Time: November 27, 2012 (Tuesday), 13.30-17.15
Location: Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture, and Innovation
Prins Clauslaan 8, Room 10.01 “Weerribben en Wieden”, The Hague

Earlier this year Reinhilde Veugelers wrote a Breugel Policy Brief (“Innovation in EU Merger Control: Walking the Talk”) in which she advocated that competition authorities should pay more attention to the consequences for innovation when assessing mergers. She also suggested several concrete reforms for doing so. This Competition Workshop aims to stimulate the debate on merger control and innovation. Are the consequences for innovation indeed neglected when assessing mergers? If so, what can be done about it? In particular, should the parties to a merger be obliged to report on the dynamic efficiency of the merger? How should these be evaluated by competition authorities? Should merger policy be more (or less) permissive in dynamically competitive industries?

We cordially invite you to participate in the workshop. If you would like to attend the workshop, please send an e-mail with your name and affiliation to Ali Aouragh (a.aouragh@cpb.nl). Please, do not hesitate to forward this invitation to your colleagues.

Please note that this workshop takes place in the (new) main building of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Innovation. You need to take your ID with you in order to enter the building.

Ali Aouragh (CPB, Unit Markets and Regulation)
Eric van Damme (CentER and TILEC, Tilburg University)
Frederik van Doorn (Ministry of EL&I, Directorate for Competition and Consumer Policy)
Bas Straathof (CPB, Unit Markets and Regulation)