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Showing posts from August, 2019

The Luxembourg Competition Authority rejects an application for interim measures in a case concerning a foreclosure from the Amazon Marketplace

Introduction Two years after its no-infringement decision in the Case 2017-C02- Amazon, in the Case n. 2019-MCP-01, Amazon ServicesEurope , the Luxembourg Competition Authority (LCA) once again dealt with the issue whether the Amazon’s policies as for the access of independent sellers to its e-marketplace constituted an abusive of dominant position. This time, by the decision of 3 July 2019 in Amazon Services Europe, the LCA considered an application for interim measures against Amazon Services Europe Sarl (Amazon). This request was filed by a merchant that claimed that the Amazon’s decision to foreclose him from its online platforms access breached competition law. The application was rejected by the LCA because the statutory requirements for the granting of interim measures were not satisfied. The facts of the case The facts of the case in Amazon Services Europe were similar to those in Amazon. The applicant, Mr. HD, was a France-based independent seller admitted to the A

The Italian Competition Authority to investigate into bid rigging practice in the ICT sector

By a decision made on 17 July 2019 in the case I833 the Italian Competition Authority (ICA) has opened an Article 101 TFEU investigation against four suppliers of ICT goods and services (Converge, Italware, Computer Gross and Zucchetti). These firms were alleged to have coordinated their conducts in relation to three competitive tender procedures organized in the 2015-2017 period by Consip, the central purchasing body for the Italian public administration, for the award of several contracts for the purchase of PC desktops and related services. The ICA decided to start the procedure following the receipt of a report prepared by the financial police on the offers submitted by the parties in response to the Consip’s tender notices. All the lots put on tender by Consip but one, for which the winner was Zucchetti, were awarded to Converge and Italware. Some aspects of the bidding patterns of the parties drew the attention of the ICA that considered them as indicia of a collusive agree