The Draghi Report and the future of Competition Policy and State Aid in Europe
2024-12-05 12:00 - 13:30 (Europe/Oslo) | Det juridiske fakultet, UiB, Magnus Lagabøtes Plass 1, Bergen, 5010, Norway
Copyright: European Commission
The Draghi Report was submitted to the European Commission in September this year, and it is an important input for the commission’s future work on competitiveness for Europe. Competition Policy is one of the issues discussed in the report. Although the report in general is in favor of an active and strict competition policy, there are some proposals that would lead to a less strict competition policy. In particular, the focus on firm scale – having large European firms to compete against foreign firms – will de facto lead to a less strict merger control. In the report the telecom sector is mentioned as one sector where scale in Europe is too limited, and where it is a need for mergers and acquisitions between European firms.

In this seminar, Tommaso Valletti will comment on the proposals in the Draghi report, generally about competition policy and state aid and in particular on merger control and the telecom sector. Valletti is professor at Imperial College London and adjunct professor at Norwegian School of Economics and BECCLE. He has for three years served as the chief economist in European Commission (Directorate General for Competition).
There will be time for comments and questions from the audience.
Date and Time: Thursday, December 5, from 12:00 to 13:30
Location: The Library, 5th Floor, Faculty of Law, University of Bergen
We look forward to your participation. For those unable to attend in person, the seminar will be streamed live via Zoom. Please follow this link to join us.

Seminar: Misbruk av dominans og ytelsesbasert konkurranse
2025-02-20 14:30 - 16:00
Copyright: Eurac Research
EU-kommisjonen har kommet med utkast til retningslinjer for misbruk av dominans (artikkel 102 i TFEU). Dette utkastet er av mange blitt tolket som at EU-kommisjonen nå i mindre grad enn det som fremkommer i deres veiledningsnotat (‘guidance paper’) fra 2008 vil basere seg på en effekt-basert analyse når de skal avgjøre om det dominerende firma sin adferd er lovstridig. Det er for eksempel satt opp to vilkår for at det skal være misbruk, der ett av dem er at det ikke er ytelsesbasert konkurranse (competition on the merits). I dette seminaret vil det bli drøftet hvordan vilkåret for å konstatere misbruk skal forstås, herunder om utkastet til retningslinjer sin definisjon er i tråd med rettspraksis.
Innledere vil være professor Erling Hjelmeng fra Universitet i Oslo og professor Ronny Gjendemsjø fra Universitet i Bergen, og seminaret vil bli ledet av professor Lars Sørgard ved Norges Handelshøyskole.
Tema: Misbruk av dominans og ytelsesbasert konkurranse
Innledere: Professor Ronny Gjendemsjø, Universitetet i Bergen og Erling J. Hjelmeng, Universitetet i Oslo.
Sted: Biblioteket, Juridisk Fakultet, Universitetet i Bergen
Når: Torsdag 20. februar kl 14.30-16.00
Powerpoint-presentasjoner fra seminaret:
Ronny Gjendemsjø:
BECCLE seminar ytelsesbasert konkurranse
Erling J. Hjelmeng:
Comp on the merits 200225

DG Comp from the inside
2025-03-19 10:15 - 12:00 | Auditorium 3, Det juridiske fakultet, UiB, Magnus Lagabøtes plass 1, Bergen, Norway
Copyright: APCO Worldwide
Cecilio has over three decades of experience as an antitrust enforcer and regulator at the Directorate General for Competition of the European Commission. In conversation with Madero, he will take us behind the scenes of how a competition law case is processed at the DG Comp.
Cecilio Madero Villarejo is senior counsel at APCO Worldwide since March 2023. He has over three decades of experience as an antitrust enforcer and regulator at the Directorate General for Competition of the European Commission.
The seminar will be a joint BECCLE-seminar and LLM-event.

Nordic Academic Network Conference in Competition Law, June 4-6, 2025
2025-06-04 - 2025-06-06

BECCLE Competition Policy Conference 2025
2025-06-05 08:00 - 2025-06-06 17:00
Bergen Center for Competition Law and Economics (BECCLE) is pleased to announce the ninth annual conference on competition policy on 5-6 June 2025 in Bergen, Norway. This year, the conference will take place at the Faculty of Law, University of Bergen.
Conference Registration is closed.
The conference will combine sessions with invited speakers with presentations and discussions of original research papers in the fields of competition law and competition economics.
For the open sessions at the BECCLE conference, we invited submissions of original research papers, with a deadline February 1. All papers will be allocated a discussant, and presenters may be asked to discuss a paper. Submission of papers is closed
The program you will find HERE
Keynote speakers and invited sessions
There will be two keynote speakers:

Professor Fiona Scott Morton,Yale School of Management: ‘Competition Enforcement and Ex Ante Regulation: Complements or Substitutes?’
Professor Herbert Hovenkamp,University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School and the Wharton School: ‘Consumer Welfare as a Policy Directive’

In addition, there will be three invited sessions on the following topics:
Draft guidelines for Article 102
Chair: Thomas Vinje, Clifford Chance and BECCLE
Anne-Christine Witt, ECHEC Business School
Massimiliano Kadar, European Commission
Jorge Padilla, Compass Lexecon
Private Enforcement in Digital Markets
Chair: Ronny Gjendemsjø, BECCLE and Faculty of Law at University of Bergen
Gjermund Mathisen, Kvale Law Firm
Magnus Strand, Uppsala University
Helene Andersson, Delphi Law Firm
The Labour Market and Merger Control
Chair: Tommaso Valletti, BECCLE and Imperial College London
Miriam Larson-Koester, Federal trade Commission (FTC)
Axel Gottfries, University of Edinburgh
Lars Sørgard, BECCLE and Norwegian School of Economics
Transportation to and from the airport
There are multiple ways to get to the city center from the airport. The cheapest option is the Bergen Light Rail which can be paid for through an app or by buying a ticket from a ticket machine at the station.
A slightly faster option is the Airport Bus. Both the light rail and bus stop in the city center, close to Scandic Hotel Byparken.
Additional information
There is no conference fee. We offer lunch free of charge to all attendees. We also offer a conference dinner (free of charge) to all presenters. For updates on the conference, please revisit this website leading up to the conference. Information about the program, registration, and other practical information will be published here.
Time and location of the event
The event will take place at the Faculty of Law, University of Bergen, 5-6 June 2025
Address: Magnus Lagabøtes Plass 1
Contact
Please use the email address localbeccle@uib.no if you have questions.
Scientific Committee

Tommaso Valletti (Imperial College London)
Frode Steen (NHH)
Tommy Staahl Gabrielsen (U Bergen)
Ronny Gjendemsjø (U Bergen)
Ignacio Herrera Anchustegui (U Bergen)
Bjørn Olav Johansen (U Bergen)
Eeva Mauring (U Bergen)
Lars Sørgard (NHH)
Ingrid Margrethe Halvorsen Barlund (U Bergen)
Thomas Vinje (U Bergen)
Mateusz Mysliwski (NHH)
Morten Sæthre (NHH)
Teis Lunde Lømo (HVL)
Tove Forsbacka (NHH)
Oscar Jara (NHH)

Local Organizing Committee

Elias Dahlberg
John Lilletvedt
Aurora Paulsen
Paula Navarro
Karianne Frønsdal

For program for earlier years, see HERE.

Data Protection, Competition and Consumer Law Interplay in a Data-Driven Economy: Evidence from Ukraine and Norway
2025-08-21 10:00 - 12:00
This seminar seeks to foster critical discussion among scholars, practitioners and regulatory experts on the legal and institutional frameworks governing digital markets, with the aim of gaining insights from Norway. Speakers from Ukraine will address the challenges of war for the data-driven economy and the impact of data protection and competition law. This will be followed by a round of reflections from a Norwegian perspective.
PROGRAMME
War and the Data-Driven Economy: Challenges and Solutions
Dr. Liudmyla Petrenko

Professor, Department of Business Economics and Entrepreneurship, Kyiv National Economic University after Vadym Hetman (KNEU); Visiting scholar at the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition (Munich, Germany), 2022-2025

The presentation examines how Ukrainian digital platforms have strategically leveraged user data, regulatory frameworks, and innovative governance models to drive business growth and resilience in wartime conditions. Drawing on recent trends: The e-commerce market rose to nearly $4 billion in 2024, marking a ~30% YoY increase, driven by digital payments, mobile commerce, and omnichannel approaches. The IT and fintech sector, contributing almost 5% to GDP, reached $8 billion in revenue in 2023, underscoring the sector’s economic significance. The analysis emphasizes how digital technologies facilitated economic continuity, enabling remote work, sustaining export revenues, and supporting domestic consumption through innovative online platforms. Additionally, it addresses significant challenges, such as infrastructure damage, human capital loss, and cybersecurity threats, detailing Ukraine’s adaptive strategies including cloud migration, international collaboration, and enhanced digital governance. The study concludes by reflecting on how the crisis has accelerated digital transformation, creating lasting structural changes and global integration opportunities vital for Ukraine’s post-war economic recovery.
Data Protection and Competition Law: Cross-Regulatory Solutions for Ukraine
Dr. Nataliia Mazaraki

Chair of the International, civil and commercial law department, State University of Trade and Economics, Visiting scholar at the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition (Munich, Germany), 2022-2025

The analysis identifies opportunities for cross-regulatory cooperation between Ukraine’s competition authority and data protection agencies, suggesting integrated regulatory approaches to effectively manage digital market power and safeguard personal data—essential components of Ukraine’s digital transformation and European integration. The research highlights cases and key regulatory trends in Ukrainian digital markets and data governance: (1) BlaBlaCar antitrust case (2025) – the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU) fined the local operator approximately ₴424,000 for failing to provide requested competition information, marking the first enforcement action in the online P2P mobility sector and signaling broader scrutiny of digital platforms; (2) Kyiv Digital vs. MIA platform bias (2025) – AMCU issued formal recommendations to prevent state-led favoritism toward the MIA’s driving simulator app over private competitors, reinforcing the application of competition rules to government-backed platforms. Legal and market trends illustrate a dynamic shift, as Ukraine’s legal system actively shapes the governance of digital platforms by embedding competition and data protection principles into its digital economy framework: (а) Expanding AMCU enforcement – In 2024, the AMCU handled 312 information-related cases in digital markets, signaling a shift from traditional cartel oversight toward platform-centric regulation; (b) GDPR-aligned reforms – Draft Law № 8153 (2022) introduces new rights, breach notification requirements, and expanded definitions, deepening alignment with EU standards; (с) Digital public law innovation – Ukraine enacted laws on electronic documents and e-justice, supported by the Diia platform, enabling paperless courts and digital state services even during wartime; (d) Platform strategy meets legal control – Both state and private platforms are increasingly integrating AI-driven operations, privacy-by-design principles, and anti-bias compliance measures in response to AMCU enforcement and GDPR-style regulations.
Short comment from the NorwegianCompetition Authority (Konkurransetilsynet)
Round table discussion

Moderated by Liliia Oprysk

Date: 21 August 2025
Time: 10.00-12.00
Venue: Library at the Faculty of Law, University of Bergen
Registration HERE
The seminar will not be streamed

Google Android – Approaching the end of the saga?
2025-09-11 12:15 - 13:30 | Auditorium 3, Det juridiske fakultet, UiB, Magnus Lagabøtes plass 1, Bergen, Norway
ADVOCATE GENERAL KOKOTT SAYS THE COURT OF JUSTICE SHOULD DISMISS GOOGLE’S APPEAL AND UPHOLD THE JUDGMENT OF THE GENERAL COURT
Thomas Vinje, Professor II on the Faculty of Law at UiB and BECCLE, and Senior Counsel / Chair Emeritus of Clifford Chance’s Global Antitrust Group, visits BECCLE to discuss the key issues addressed by Advocate General Kokott in her opinion in case C-738/22 P, Google Android. Thomas will discuss, in particular, AG Kokott’s positions on the two issues raised in Google’s Android appeal that are generally regarded as having great significance for the future of Article 102 jurisprudence, namely:

Was the Commission required to undertake a (but-for) counterfactual analysis proving how Google might have behaved had it not adopted the contested abusive conduct
Were the Commission (and the General Court) required to extend their examination beyond the capacity of Google’s tying conduct to restrict competition and to assess whether that conduct was capable specifically of foreclosing competitors as efficient as Google?

Thomas filed the complaint on behalf of FairSearch against Google that led the European Commission to pursue its case against Google on its Android-related conduct. He pursued the complaint throughout the administrative proceedings leading to the Commission’s decision against Google and represented FairSearch in support of the European Commission in Google’s appeal before the General Court and Court of Justice of the European Union.
Location: Faculty of Law, University of Bergen, Auditorium 3
When: Thursday 11. september, 12.15-13.30
Vinje’s presentation
The seminar will be streamed and a zoom link will come here: https://uib.zoom.us/j/64389983842?pwd=[REDACTED]

Pricing in petrol markets
2025-11-18 12:15 - 13:30 | Room E209/E210, Department of Economics, Norwegian School of Economics, Helleveien 30, Bergen, Norway
BECCLE would like to welcome you to this joint BECCLE and NHH (Micro research group) seminar on the pricing in petrol markets, which will take place at NHH on November 18.
For a long time there has been debate in many countries about the pricing in petrol markets. One question that has been frequently discussed, is whether the petrol price cycles that have been observed in many countries, is a sign of competition or collusion. At this seminar, Yiming Liu will discuss pricing behavior in petrol markets, with a particular focus on how behavioral models can help us to understand the toughness of price competition in these markets.
Yiming Liu, post doc at the Humboldt University of Berlin.
Title: Pricing in petrol markets
Speaker: Yiming Liu, post doc at the University of Humboldt
Date and time: November 18, 12.15-13.30
Location: Department of Economics at NHH, Room E209/E210
Abstract of paper:
We show how cognitive constraints systematically shape pricing behavior in a firm with over 20,000 gas stations. Consistent with insights from behavioral models of bounded rationality, station managers with lower cognitive skills have biased mental models. These underestimate competitor sophistication and competitor retaliation for price cuts, and thus place more confidence in the efficacy and profitability of low prices. In the field, managers with lower cognitive skills set lower prices, and engage in more price wars. The resulting lower prices reduce profits and producer surplus, but increase consumer surplus and improve overall market efficiency.

BECCLE-seminar om NOU 2025: Revidert konkurranselov
2025-12-17 10:00 | Auditorium 4, Det juridiske fakultet, UiB, Magnus Lagabøtes plass 1, Bergen, Hordaland, 5010, Norway
BECCLE ønskjer velkomen til seminar om den heilt ferske NOU-en om revidert konkurranselov. Seminaret finn stad 17. desember kl. 10:00–13:00 i Auditorium 4 ved Det juridiske fakultet, Universitetet i Bergen.
Seminaret opnar med ei innleiing ved Kristin Hjelmaas Valla, utvalsleiar, som vil presentere dei sentrale forslaga til endringar som utvalet legg fram. Deretter følgjer ein paneldebatt med deltakarar frå både offentleg forvaltning, akademia og privat næringsliv.
Paneldeltakarar:

Kristin Hjelmaas Valla, utvalsleiar og partnar i Advokatfirmaet Kvale
Hans Petter Håvås Hanson, utvalsmedlem og sjefsøkonom i Konkurransetilsynet
Ronny Gjendemsjø, leiar av BECCLE og professor ved Det juridiske fakultet, UiB
Helge Stemshaug, partnar i Advokatfirmaet BAHR
Karin Fløistad, leiar av Konkurranseklagenemnda og advokat
Marte Brathovde, advokatfullmektig hos Regjeringsadvokaten

Moderator: Lars Sørgard, styreleiar ved BECCLE og professor i økonomi ved NHH.

Det blir enkel servering.
Påmelding for både fysiske og digitale deltakarar:
Meld deg på via lenka under innan 12. desember:
påmelding avsluttet
Streaming
Seminaret blir direktesendt her: https://uib.zoom.us/j/67245423982?pwd=[REDACTED]
VELKOMMEN!

Private Enforcement of Competition Law
2026-03-05 10:00
Private enforcement of competition law, particularly through damages actions, has grown significantly across Europe over the past decade. Yet striking the right balance between effective public enforcement and safeguarding the rights of parties harmed by anticompetitive conduct remains a challenge. Despite important legislative initiatives, such as the Damages Directive from 2014, access to justice through national courts varies considerably across jurisdictions.
A key reason is the lack of full harmonization. Procedural autonomy continues to allow divergent national approaches to issues such as litigation funding, disclosure rules, and the balance between protecting leniency applicants and enabling effective claimant actions.
In this seminar, BECCLE is proud to bring together leading practitioners and scholars in the field of competition law. The programme will provide insight into the current regulatory framework, covering EU, EEA, and Norwegian perspectives, and examine a broad range of issues related to private enforcement of competition law. Drawing on practical experience, speakers will discuss how to build a claimant’s case and share concrete case examples, including insights from the UK system and the latest developments from Brussels.
The seminar will be chaired by Thomas Vinje, Senior Counsel at Clifford Chance and external affiliate at the University of Bergen. He will be joined by Nivi Balaji, Counsel at Clifford Chance; Sean Ennis, Professor at Norwich Business School, University of East Anglia; and BECCLE’s own Associate Professor Ingrid Barlund.

Title: Private Enforcement of Competition Law
Date and time: Thursday March 5, 10.00 – 11.30
Location: Auditorium 4, Faculty of Law, University of Bergen
The seminar will be streamed, Zoom link

BECCLE Competition Policy Conference 2026
2026-06-04 08:00 - 2026-06-05 17:00
Bergen Center for Competition Law and Economics (BECCLE) is pleased to announce the tenth annual conference on competition policy on 4-5 June 2026 in Bergen, Norway.
This year, the conference will take place at the Norwegian School of Economics. The conference will combine sessions with invited speakers with presentations and discussions of original research papers in the fields of competition law and competition economics.
For the open sessions, we now invite submissions. Submitted papers should be in the field of competition law and economics. We welcome both theoretical and empirical papers, as well as case studies.
Update on the program, registration etc. will be published on this web page.
Time and date: 4th June at 08:00 until 5th of June at 17:00
Location: Norwegian School of Economics, Helleveien 30
Contact: For any questions, please contact the organizing committee by using the following email address: beccle@nhh.no
Submissions of papers
Papers should be submitted to beccle.papers@nhh.no, no later than February 2, 2026. Submissions should be in pdf format and include a title, abstract (up to 200 words), name of authors, affiliation, and contact details. Submissions of full papers are recommended, but we also consider extended abstracts. Submissions in competition law are particularly encouraged. Authors of accepted papers will be notified by March 1, 2026. All papers will be allocated a discussant, and presenters may be asked to discuss a paper
Keynote speakers and invited sessions
There will be two keynote speakers:

Maarten Pieter Schinkel (University of Amsterdam)
Anne Witt (EDHEC Business School and EDHEC Augmented Law Institute)

In addition, there will be three invited sessions on the following topics:
EU merger guidelines

Emanuele Tarantino (Chief Competition Economist, European Commission)
John Kwoka (Northwestern University)
Chiara Fumagalli (Bocconi University)

The Ongoing Revision of Regulation 1/2003

Peter Whelan (University of Leeds)
Massimiliano Kadar (European Commission)
TBA

Merger Efficiencies and Remedies

Alon Eizenberg (Hebrew University of Jerusalem)
Christine Zulehner (University of Vienna)
Devesh Raval (Federal Trade Commission)

Additional information
There is no conference fee. We offer lunch free of charge to all attendees. We also offer a conference dinner (free of charge) to all presenters. For updates on the conference, please revisit this website leading up to the conference. Information about the program, registration, and other practical information will be published here.
