Major Elective - Market and Consumer Protection 2600-BM-MJE-MCP
The aim of this class is to familiarise the participants with the legal aspects of markets and consumer protection. The course examines issues related to competition law, economic theories governing competition law and market regulation, types of anti-competitive behaviours as well as discuss market practices harming consumers. In order to facilitate the learning, the course is based upon the most relevant case-law and it resorts to case studies often stemming from real life scenarios or pop-culture.
The course will present the basic legal institutions relevant to the understanding of the market phenomena discussed. Based on the analysis of actual market practices, EU and national case law, participants will be able to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to understand the legal aspects of competition law, market regulation and consumer protection. The methods that will be used during the course are case analysis and discussion.
Planned course:
1. Introduction: Markets, Competition Law and Policy, Political Economy (2h): what are markets, development of competition law, political economy of competition law
2. Economic theories (2h): Perfect competition, monopoly, oligopoly
3. Horizontal Agreements (2h): Article 101 TFEU, HBER, cartels, oligopoly, tacit collusion, and collective dominance, cooperation agreements
4. Vertical Agreements (2h): Article 101 TFEU, VBER, resale price maintenance, exclusivity
5. Abuse of dominance (2h): Article 102 TFEU, essential facilities, excessive pricing, refusal to supply, discriminatory pricing, and tying
6. Mergers (2h): EU Merger Regulation, market concentration, efficiencies, remedies
7. State aid (2h): Article 107 TFEU, COVID rules
8. Unfair market practices (2h): misleading advertising, aggressive sales
9. Consumer protection (2h): consumer rights, product safety, information, enforcement
10. Revision and exam
Type of course
Course coordinators
Learning outcomes
K_W04 legal regulations. Knows and understands in depth the legal regulations for the functioning of organisations, including in particular the functioning of competition law, market regulation and consumer protection.
K_W05 impact of the environment. Knows and understands complex technological, social, political, legal, economic, ethical, environmental processes and phenomena, including competition law, market regulation and consumer protection and their impact on the functioning of organisations and the economy as a whole.
K_U02 external analysis. Can correctly interpret complex legal and technological processes and phenomena and their impact on the functioning of organisations and the economy as a whole.
K_K01 critical thinking. Is ready to evaluate and critically approach complex situations and phenomena related to the functioning of an organisation, especially with regard to competition law, market regulation and consumer protection.
Assessment criteria
1. Presence in class (1 absence allowed)
2. Active participation in class (each class will have groups of experts allocated who have to prepare: read cases, analyse other materials)
3. Open-book exam (written exam on campus held during the final class)
Additional information
Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system: