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xv | |
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xvii | |
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xix | |
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Table of Treaties and Conventions |
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xxxix | |
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Table of European Union Legislation |
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xli | |
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Table of National Legislation |
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xlv | |
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1 | (10) |
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1 | (2) |
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3 | (2) |
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C The structure of the inquiry |
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5 | (6) |
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2 Normative Theory of Competition Law |
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11 | (40) |
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11 | (3) |
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14 | (18) |
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(1) The competitive process and a competitive market structure |
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14 | (4) |
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18 | (3) |
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21 | (3) |
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(4) Protection of competitors and small and medium-sized enterprises |
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24 | (2) |
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26 | (3) |
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(6) Market liberalization |
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29 | (1) |
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30 | (2) |
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32 | (17) |
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(1) `The search for the economic purpose of the law |
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32 | (1) |
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(2) Social welfare, consumer welfare, and economic efficiency |
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33 | (6) |
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(3) Theoretical and normative superiority of the long-term social welfare objective |
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39 | (1) |
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40 | (1) |
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(a) Definition of the long-term consumer welfare objective |
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40 | (1) |
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(b) Redistribution of wealth |
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41 | (2) |
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(c) Imperfections in corporate governance |
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43 | (1) |
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(d) Enforcement, efficiency, and institutional capability |
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43 | (1) |
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(e) The misuse of the consumer welfare objective |
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44 | (1) |
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(5) A different perspective: consumer harm as a test to achieve a social welfare objective |
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45 | (1) |
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45 | (1) |
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(b) Information asymmetry |
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46 | (1) |
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46 | (2) |
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48 | (1) |
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(e) Limited (not general) validity of consumer harm as a test |
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48 | (1) |
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49 | (2) |
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3 The Design of the Optimal Abuse Tests |
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51 | (56) |
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51 | (1) |
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B The search for a single test |
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52 | (5) |
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57 | (9) |
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57 | (1) |
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57 | (2) |
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(3) Naked abuse as a test of intent |
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59 | (4) |
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(4) The test of intent beyond naked abuse and its limitations |
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63 | (3) |
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D The no economic sense test |
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66 | (6) |
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E The as efficient competitor test |
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72 | (20) |
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(1) Consistency of the as efficient competitor test with fundamental principles |
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72 | (2) |
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(2) Under-inclusiveness of the as efficient competitor test |
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74 | (2) |
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(3) Over-inclusiveness of the as efficient competitor test |
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76 | (1) |
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(4) The problem of multi-product firms |
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77 | (2) |
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(5) Extension of the as efficient competitor test to abusive discrimination |
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79 | (1) |
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79 | (1) |
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(b) General welfare effects of discrimination |
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80 | (8) |
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(c) Competitive implications of discrimination on intermediate markets |
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88 | (3) |
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(d) The market-distorting discrimination test |
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91 | (1) |
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92 | (8) |
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(1) General formulations of the consumer harm test |
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92 | (1) |
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(2) Advantages of the consumer harm test |
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93 | (1) |
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(3) Problems of over- and under-enforcement associated with the consumer harm test |
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94 | (1) |
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(4) Administrability of the consumer harm test |
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95 | (2) |
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(5) Exploitative abuses and consumer harm |
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97 | (3) |
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100 | (7) |
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4 The Objective of Article 102 |
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107 | (48) |
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107 | (1) |
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B Interpretation of Article 102 |
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108 | (7) |
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(1) The general prohibition of an abuse of a dominant position |
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108 | (2) |
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(2) The illustrative list |
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110 | (3) |
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113 | (1) |
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(a) The link between the competition rules and the internal market |
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113 | (2) |
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b The internal market and economic freedom |
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115 | (18) |
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(c) The social welfare objective of the internal market |
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116 | (3) |
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(d) The competition rules and the objectives of the Union |
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119 | (2) |
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(4) Historical background and travaux preparatoires |
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121 | (1) |
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(a) A methodological gloss |
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121 | (1) |
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(b) The Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community |
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122 | (1) |
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(c) From the ECSC Treaty to the Spaak Report |
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122 | (4) |
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(d) The drafting of the text of Article 102 |
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126 | (5) |
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(e) Long-term social welfare in the travaux preparatoires |
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131 | (2) |
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C Tine problem of the objective of the EU competition rules in the case law and secondary legislation |
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133 | (19) |
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(1) Integrated analysis of Article 102, Article 101, and merger control |
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133 | (1) |
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(2) The EU competition rules and the objectives of the Treaties |
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134 | (1) |
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134 | (1) |
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134 | (3) |
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137 | (1) |
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(3) Rejection of consumer welfare as an objective of EU competition law |
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138 | (6) |
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144 | (1) |
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(a) Fairness and equally efficient competitors |
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144 | (4) |
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(b) Fairness and less efficient competitors |
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148 | (2) |
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150 | (2) |
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152 | (3) |
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5 The General Framework of the Abuse Tests in EU Law |
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155 | (32) |
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155 | (2) |
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B The proportionality test in context |
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157 | (7) |
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(1) Proportionality as an analytical structure |
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157 | (1) |
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(2) Proportionality as a general principle of EU law |
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158 | (3) |
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(3) The proportionality framework under Article 101 |
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161 | (3) |
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C Proportionality under Article 102 |
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164 | (5) |
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(1) The proportionality framework in the case law |
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164 | (3) |
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(2) The proportionality framework in the Guidance on Article 102 |
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167 | (2) |
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D The limited usefulness of the definition of abuse in Hoffmann-La Roche |
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169 | (3) |
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E Continental Can and the concept of effective competition |
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172 | (2) |
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F The special responsibility of the dominant undertaking |
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174 | (2) |
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G Causal link between dominance, conduct, and effect |
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176 | (9) |
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(1) Causal link between dominance and competitive harm |
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176 | (3) |
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179 | (1) |
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(a) Input/output and complementary products |
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179 | (1) |
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180 | (5) |
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(c) The test for multi-market abuses |
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185 | (1) |
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185 | (2) |
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187 | (34) |
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187 | (1) |
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188 | (13) |
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(1) Naked abuse as a general test |
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188 | (3) |
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(2) Naked abuse and free trade |
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191 | (1) |
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(a) Free trade as a key driver of long-term social welfare |
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191 | (1) |
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191 | (2) |
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193 | (2) |
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(d) `Raising rivals' costs |
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195 | (2) |
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197 | (3) |
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200 | (1) |
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C Intent and the risk of systematic false convictions |
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201 | (10) |
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201 | (1) |
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201 | (2) |
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(b) Inadequacy of the recoupment test |
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203 | (2) |
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(c) The test of intent in predation |
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205 | (1) |
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(d) Recoupment as predatory incentive |
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206 | (2) |
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(e) The no economic sense test as a test of intent |
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208 | (1) |
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(f) The predation test in the Guidance on Article 102 |
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209 | (1) |
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(2) Abuse of contractual rights |
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210 | (1) |
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D Intent and the risk of systematic false acquittals |
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211 | (6) |
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211 | (1) |
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211 | (1) |
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(b) The enforcement risks associated with tying |
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212 | (3) |
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(c) Intent and incentive for anti-competitive tying |
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215 | (2) |
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E Evidence of intent as circumstantial evidence |
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217 | (2) |
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219 | (2) |
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7 The As Efficient Competitor Test |
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221 | (36) |
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221 | (1) |
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222 | (7) |
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(1) Predation and exclusion of as efficient competitors |
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222 | (1) |
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(2) The problem of the permissible cost benchmarks |
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223 | (6) |
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229 | (3) |
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D Conditional above-cost rebates |
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232 | (10) |
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(1) Protection of less efficient undertakings incompatible with Article 102 |
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232 | (3) |
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(2) Static application of the as efficient competitor test |
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235 | (4) |
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(3) Dynamic application of the as efficient competitor test |
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239 | (3) |
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E Unconditional above-cost rebates |
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242 | (2) |
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244 | (1) |
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245 | (3) |
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248 | (7) |
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(1) Article 102(c) as the exclusive legal basis |
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248 | (1) |
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(2) Criticism of the application of Article 102(c) to exclusionary conduct |
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249 | (1) |
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(3) Market-distorting discrimination and competitive disadvantage |
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250 | (5) |
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255 | (2) |
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257 | (30) |
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257 | (1) |
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B The consumer harm test in vertical foreclosure |
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257 | (18) |
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(1) The concept of vertical foreclosure |
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257 | (1) |
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258 | (1) |
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(a) The problem of balancing investment incentives and competitive harm |
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258 | (4) |
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262 | (3) |
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(c) Intensity of the exclusionary effect |
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265 | (2) |
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(d) Raising rivals' costs |
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267 | (2) |
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(e) Clarifying the consumer harm rest in refusal to supply |
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269 | (3) |
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(f) Refusal to supply an existing customer |
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272 | (1) |
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(3) Margin squeeze as a vertical foreclosure strategy |
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273 | (2) |
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275 | (7) |
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(1) The need for limiting principles |
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275 | (2) |
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(2) Enhanced dominance test |
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277 | (2) |
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(3) Enhanced consumer harm test |
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279 | (1) |
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(4) Post-exclusionary exploitation test |
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280 | (2) |
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D Consumer harm as the default test for exclusionary abuses |
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282 | (2) |
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284 | (3) |
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287 | (40) |
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287 | (2) |
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B Burden of proof and evidential burden |
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289 | (5) |
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C Thresholds of anti-competitive effects |
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294 | (6) |
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D Proportionality defences |
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300 | (4) |
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(1) Structure of the test |
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300 | (1) |
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(2) The meeting competition defence |
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301 | (3) |
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E Objective justification defences |
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304 | (17) |
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(1) Structure of the test |
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304 | (5) |
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309 | (1) |
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(a) AI locative efficiency |
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309 | (2) |
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(b) Productive efficiency |
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311 | (2) |
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313 | (4) |
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(3) Social welfare defences |
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317 | (4) |
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321 | (6) |
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IV ANALYTIC OF THE CONCEPT OF DOMINANCE |
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327 | (32) |
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327 | (1) |
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B Dominance as the ability to harm competition |
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328 | (5) |
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C Dominance as market power |
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333 | (9) |
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342 | (13) |
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(1) Dynamic test of barriers to entry |
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342 | (4) |
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346 | (1) |
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347 | (1) |
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(4) Economies of scope and product range |
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348 | (1) |
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349 | (1) |
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349 | (2) |
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(7) Vertical integration and exclusive or preferential access to inputs or customers |
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351 | (2) |
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353 | (1) |
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354 | (1) |
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E Countervailing buyer power |
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355 | (2) |
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357 | (2) |
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359 | (30) |
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359 | (1) |
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B The emergence of the concept of collective dominance |
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360 | (4) |
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C Non-oligopolistic collective dominance |
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364 | (6) |
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(1) Horizontal non-oligopolistic collective dominance |
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364 | (1) |
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(a) The two-pronged structure of the test |
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364 | (10) |
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(b) Collective entity test |
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364 | (3) |
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367 | (1) |
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(2) Vertical non-oligopolistic collective dominance |
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368 | (2) |
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D Oligopolistic collective dominance |
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370 | (15) |
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(1) Structure of the test |
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370 | (5) |
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(2) Integrated analysis of structural and behavioural factors |
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375 | (1) |
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375 | (1) |
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(b) Ability to coordinate |
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375 | (7) |
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(c) Incentive to coordinate |
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382 | (1) |
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(d) No incentive to deviate |
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383 | (2) |
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E Abuse of collective dominance |
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385 | (2) |
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387 | (2) |
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V THE ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK OF ARTICLE 102 |
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389 | (14) |
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389 | (1) |
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B Towards a coherent analytical framework for the application of Article 102 |
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389 | (2) |
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C Objectives, principles, and tests clarified |
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391 | (6) |
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(1) Objectives and general principles |
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391 | (2) |
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(2) Assessment of conduct |
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393 | (4) |
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(3) Assessment of dominance |
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397 | (1) |
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D Addressing the main shortcomings of the current case law and enforcement practice |
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397 | (6) |
| Bibliography |
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403 | (24) |
| Index |
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427 | |