The Amsterdam Center for Law and Economics (ACLE) organizes its first and festive international conference in its area of attention Competition & Regulation. The topic of the conference is:
Remedies and Sanctions in Competition Policy Economic and Legal Implications of the Tendency to Criminalize Antitrust Enforcement in the EU Member States
February 17-18, 2005 Universiteit van Amsterdam and KNAW Building Amsterdam, The Netherlands
The plenary program includes contributions by Prof. Dr. Claus-Dieter Ehlermann (Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP), Prof. Dr. William Kovacic (George Washington University), Prof. Dr. Giancarlo Spagnolo (Stockholm School of Economics), Prof. Dr. Wouter Wils (European Commission), Prof. Dr. Dirk Schroeder (Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton), Prof. Dr. Bruce Lyons (University of East Anglia), Mr. Pat Massey (Director Compecon), Prof. Dr. Eleanor Fox (New York University), Mrs. Diana Guy (Deputy Chair UK Competition Commission), Mrs. Aini Proos (Deputy Director General Estonian Competition Authority), Dr. Christof Vollmer (Head of Unit BundesKartelAmt), Dr. Andreas Reindl (OECD) and Pieter Kalbfleisch LL.M. (Director General Netherlands Competition Authority).
Introduction to the Topic
There is increasing recognition of the fact that the existing remedies and
sanctions for anticompetitive behaviour in the EU are not necessarily sufficient
to deter parties from often lucrative restraints of trade or abuses of
dominance. A review of remedies and sanctions for those in breach of competition
law in Europe is under way. Apart from further increasing corporate pecuniary
penalties, it explores the introduction of criminal sanctions (such as fines,
professional remedies, disqualification orders and jail sentences). Antitrust
enforcement in the US – which included criminal sanctions in the original
Sherman Act – is studied for guidance. Installing similar penalties in Europe,
however, raises fundamental issues. It requires, for example, elements of
criminal law in addition to present administrative law enforcement. The trend to
criminalize also has important economic and social implications. These topics
are explored at this conference.
The conference is intended for legal and economic scholars in competition law
and economics, as well as for practitioners in the various competition
authorities, legal counsel and economic consultancy firms.
Conference Program
The conference consists of a day long plenary program on Friday, February 18, and an associated workshop with contributed papers on Thursday, February 17 in the afternoon. Registration for these two events is separate. For the plenary Friday conference program click below.
Registration Thursday and Friday's program
Registration is closed.
Thursday Workshop
Prior to the plenary program on Friday, on Thursday 17th February, 13.00-18.00, there is an afternoon of contributed sessions scheduled at the Universiteit van Amsterdam. The topic of the workshop is "Remedies and Sanctions in Competition Policy", which is broader than the EU criminalization topic of the plenary program on Friday. The Thursday program includes contributed papers by law and economics scholars on such issues as structural remedies (including break-ups), optimal fining, leniency, corporate v. individual corporate staff sanctions, the probability of detection of anticompetitive behavior, and private antitrust damages claims.
The full Thursday workshop program is available as a PDF download. Also, in order to facilitate discussion, the papers presented at the workshop - for so far as presently available - can be downloaded at 'Workshop Papers' below.
From/to Conference Venue
The various conference locations are indicated on the enclosed map (pdf download). To reach the KNAW Building, please consult the following website.
Hotel Accommodation
Participants are to arrange their own lodging. The following is a selection of hotels in de vicinity of the conference venues.
- The Grand *****Deluxe
Oudezijds Voorburgwal 197
Website: www.thegrand.nl
Phone: +31 (0)20 555 3555
Prices from € 230
- NH Doelen ****
Nieuwe Doelenstraat 24
Website: www.nh-hotels.com
Phone: +31 (0)20-5540662
Prices from € 120
- Le Coin ***
Nieuwe Doelenstraat 5
Website www.lecoin.nl
Phone: +31 (0)20 524 6800
Prices from € 85 (mention ACLE Conference)
- Arena Hotel ***
's Gravesandestraat 51
Website www.hotelarena.nl
Phone: +31 (0)20 8502400
Prices from € 90
- Hostel Stay OK Amsterdam Vondelpark
Zandpad 5
Website: www.stayokay.com
Phone: + 31 (0)20 5898996
Prices from € 67,50
Sponsors
Financial support from the following organizations in making this ACLE event possible, is gratefully acknowledged: Amsterdam Center for International Law (ACIL), Charles River Associates Ltd. (CRA), Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton and Stibbe.
Press
The attached PDF document collects background information for members of the press. Press is welcome at the event and there will be opportunity to make photographs. Please, do give us advance notice of your intentions to visit.ACLE Conference Organizing Committee
The organizing committee consists of: Prof. Floris Vogelaar (chair), Prof. Dr. Wim Driehuis, Dr. Kati Cseres, Dr. Maarten Pieter Schinkel, Ine Raangs and Irene Wamelink.
For further inquiries contact the ACLE Office at +31 (0)20 525 4162 or the e-mail address below.