Professor Peter Whelan presents research in Germany

On 27 April 2018, Professor Whelan contributed to two conference panels at a full-day international conference at the University of Würtzburg.

The conference examined the proposed ECN+ Directive on competition enforcement. The Directive, if adopted, will provide national competition authorities across the EU with additional powers and enforcement tools to ensure the effective enforcement of competition law. It would also provide minimum guarantees and standards so that national competition authorities can do their jobs effectively.

The conference took place at the Law Faculty, at the University of Würtzburg. It comprised six panels dedicated to various aspects of the proposed Directive (independence; interim measures and commitments; fundamental rights and judicial review; leniency programmes; criminal sanctions and leniency; and fines). The short presentations by the panel members were followed by very lively discussions involving the panel members and the audience. The conference speakers included: 

  •  Dr Maciei Bernatt, University of Warsaw
  •  Jochen Bernhard, Menold Bezler Rechtsanwälte, Stuttgart
  •  Dr. Florian Bien, Universität Würzburg
  •  Dr. Christoph Brömmelmeyer, Universität Frankfurt/Oder
  •  Dr. Bernardo Cortese, University of Padova
  •  Ulrich Denzel, Gleiss Lutz Rechtsanwälte, Stuttgart
  •  Ulrich Klumpp, Oppenländer Rechtsanwälte, Stuttgart
  •  Gero Meeßen, European Commission, Legal Service
  •  Jan Mühle, Bundeskartellamt, Bonn
  •  Dr. Dimitris Tzouganatos, University of Athens
  •  Dr. Florian Wagner-von Papp, University College London
  •  Dr. Wolfgang Wurmnest, Universität Augsburg

Professor Whelan spoke on two panels and addressed the proposed Directive’s implications for leniency, criminal sanctions, parental liability and fines. He spoke alongside competition officials from Germany and the European Commission. On parental liability in particular Professor Whelan got to outline some of his research from his forthcoming monograph with Oxford University Press: Parental Liability in EU Competition Law.