News
ASCOLA Central Europe Chapter webinar “De-oligarchisation Laws”
The ASCOLA Central Europe Chapter invites you to our upcoming webinar: “De-oligarchisation Laws”
Date: Monday, 1 December 2025
Time: 10:00 – 12:00 CET
Location: Online (Google Meet)
Registration form: https://lnkd.in/dgKsT2NB
Join us for a discussion on the working paper by Cristina Teleki (Maastricht University) titled “Competition Law as Justice – The Advent of the De-Oligarchisation Laws in Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine.”
The event, organised jointly by the ASCOLA Central Europe Chapter and the Centre for Antitrust and Regulatory Studies (The Faculty of Management of the University of Warsaw), will feature comments by Maciej Bernatt (University of Warsaw) and Kati Cseres (University of Amsterdam), followed by an open Q&A.
A timely conversation on how competition law intertwines with justice and governance reforms in post-transition democracies.
Event poster
Important new publications by CARS academic collaborators
Welcome Dr Simbarashe Tavuyanago and Benedetta Cipriano
It is our pleasure to welcome Dr Simbarashe Tavuyanago and Benedetta Cipriano to the University of Warsaw, who have joined the research team working on the project “Competition Law Through Constitutional Lenses: Integrating Socio-Economic and Environmental Values in a Time of Just Transition.”
The project examines the role of constitutional values in shaping national competition laws through a comparative analysis of constitutional court case-law, judicial review of competition authority decisions, and detailed case studies. We focus on Italy and Poland as EU Member States whose competition regimes were designed in alignment with EU law, and we contrast them with the socio-economic framework developed in South African constitutional and competition law.
Thanks to the involvement of Simbarashe and Benedetta, our team can expand the comparative dimension of the research to include South Africa and Italy. We are delighted to have you both on board!
The project is funded by the NCN National Science Centre under the SONATA BIS programme.
Joint webinar by ASCOLA’s Germany & Central Europe Chapters: Competition Law Enforcement in Digital Markets in Poland and Germany
We are pleased to invite you to a joint webinar hosted by the ASCOLA Germany and Central Europe Chapters on 15 October 2025, 15:30-17:00 (CET). The event will explore recent developments in competition law enforcement in digital markets in Poland and Germany.
Programme highlights:
Joanna Mazur (University of Warsaw), Empirical research on the enforcement of the DMA
Antoni Napieralski (Polish Competition Authority & University of Warsaw), DMA implementation in Poland and recent abuse of dominance cases in the digital sector
Philipp Hornung (Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin), German-specific aspects of competition law enforcement in digital markets
Silke Heinz (Heinz & Zagrosek), Developments in the application of Section 19a GWB, extending control over abusive practices by digital companies
Following the presentations, we will host an interactive discussion with the audience, moderated by Thomas Weck, Eckart Bueren, Maciej Bernatt, and Miłosz Malaga.
📅 Date: 15 October 2025
🕒 Time: 15:30–17:00 CET
📍 Platform: Zoom
🔗 Join via Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84822622777?pwd=uDZ7jFgZ8JJtGiNOwUDnKpvMnyMGSc.1
New CARS Working Papers
See the new CARS Working Papers here!
Publication of a new book Data Sharing Regulation in Europe edited by Professor Maciej Bernatt and Dr. Laura Zoboli
We are pleased to announce the publication of a new book edited by Professor Maciej Bernatt and Dr. Laura Zoboli, entitled Data Sharing Regulation in Europe, published by Routledge (2025): https://www.routledge.com/Data-Sharing-Regulation-in-Europe/Bernatt-Zoboli/p/book/9781032163710
This publication is the result of research conducted under a project funded by the Polish National Science Centre: “Business-to-business data sharing within the EU digital market” (OPUS 2018/31/B/HS5/01192, carried out in the years 2019–2021).
More information about the project is available here:
https://cars.wz.uw.edu.pl/pl/badania-i-ekspertyzy/projekty-badawcze/40-9-wymiana-danych-pomiedzy-przedsiebiorcami-w-ramach-jednolitego-rynku-cyfrowego-ue-2019-2021-grant-narodowego-centrum-nauki-konkurs-opus-2018-31-b-hs5-01192.html
Conference report: "Building Competition Institutions for Sustainable Growth. A Retrospective on the Role of Competition Law and Policy in Central and Eastern Europe 20 years after EU Enlargement and Lessons for the Future"
On 27 May, the University of Warsaw hosted the high-level conference “Building Competition Institutions for Sustainable Growth”, marking two decades since the EU’s 2004 enlargement. The event brought together academics, policy experts, and senior enforcement officials to reflect on the development of competition law and institutions in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), and to examine the challenges ahead.
Key discussions addressed the integration of sustainability into competition policy, the evolving interplay between market forces and state intervention, and the institutional resilience of National Competition Authorities (NCAs). Participants engaged critically with the Draghi Report and its implications for EU strategic autonomy, with views ranging from optimism about institutional reform to concerns about regulatory overreach and geopolitical dependency.
A keynote by Inge Bernaerts (DG COMP) emphasised the constitutional underpinnings of EU competition policy and reaffirmed the importance of NCA independence, including fixed mandates and budgetary safeguards. She also highlighted the EU’s broader conception of consumer welfare, noting that while competition policy can create conditions for innovation, it cannot compel it.
Discussions on the food value chain revealed the increasing relevance of competition authorities in addressing concentration and unfair trading practices, especially under the UTP Directive. Throughout the panels, a recurring theme was the need for a careful balance between legal principles, economic analysis, and public policy goals—ensuring that competition enforcement remains both effective and forward-looking in a rapidly changing environment.
See the conference report for more details!
iKAR vol. 2025, 1(14) is published
It is our pleasure to inform that iKAR vol. 2025, 1(14) is published:
https://press.wz.uw.edu.pl/ikar/
Number 1(14)/2025, devoted to latest issues in consumer law was edited by prof. dr hab. Monika Namysłowska and dr Adrianna Michałowicz, Faculty of Law and Administration University of Lodz
International PhD Workshop “Addressing the Rule of Law” 10 April 2025
Brunel Law School, Brunel University of London, UK, in collaboration with the Faculty of Law of Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania, and the Centre for Antitrust and Regulatory Studies of the University of Warsaw (CARS), with the support of ASCOLA (Academic Society for Competition Law), warmly invites you to its international PhD webinar “Addressing the Rule of Law” on the 10th of April 2025 (online) 12:30-15:00 UK time (13.30-16:00 CET).
The event is free, but registration is required.
To register, please email Dr Mohammad Nayyeri,
Download full programme or see below
International conference "Building Competition Institutions for Sustainable Growth. A Retrospective on the Role of Competition Law and Policy in Central and Eastern Europe 20 years after EU Enlargement and Lessons for the Future"
A Retrospective on the Role of Competition Law and Policy in Central and Eastern Europe 20 years after EU Enlargement and Lessons for the Future", which is organised on May 27th, 2025 in the Library of the University of Warsaw, ul. Dobra 56/66, Warszawa, Room 316 (3rd Floor).
Organizing institutions: University College London, University of Warsaw, Inclusive Competition, ASCOLA Central Europe Chapter
Conference’s partner: Office of Competition and Consumer Protection, Poland (UOKiK)
The recently published Draghi report on EU competition policy's future has ignited intense discussion among experts, particularly regarding its proposals to modernize EU competition law. While some view EU competition enforcement as hindering industrial policy and growth initiatives, this perspective overlooks competition policy's broader role. In today's era of entrepreneurial states and mission-driven economies, competition policy serves to both create and shape markets, fostering innovation and competitiveness.
The transformation of Central and Eastern European (CEE) Member States over the past two decades since joining the EU exemplifies how growth-oriented policies can harmoniously coexist with competition protection and market access initiatives. Despite being sometimes portrayed as Europe's economic periphery, these nations have achieved remarkable progress: their real GDP per capita has doubled or significantly increased, while both nominal and real wages have grown at rates substantially exceeding the EU average. Simultaneously, these countries implemented market liberalization policies and strengthened their competitive frameworks through the establishment of independent competition authorities.
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Centre for Antitrust and Regulatory Studies,
University of Warsaw, Faculty of Management
PL - 02-678 Warsaw, 1/3 Szturmowa St.
website: www.cars.wz.uw.edu.pl (cars English site)