The Annual CRA Brussels Conference, to be held exclusively at the Steigenberger Wiltcher’s Hotel on Tuesday, 9 December 2025, will focus on the pursuit of economic growth and competitiveness, with sessions covering trade, merger policy, Article 102, digital regulation, and more.
Margaret Sanderson gives the welcome address.
Raphaël De Coninck is a discussant during the keynote address with Teresa Ribera.
Benno Buehler moderates the panel session titled “Competition and Trade: Partners for Growth in a Global Economy?”
As tariffs rise and trade agreements take center stage, the connection between competition and trade has never been more intriguing. How are new trade barriers shaking up competition policy, and what happens when trade objectives collide with antitrust enforcement – as illustrated in the Google ad-tech case? Are competition and trade still partners for global growth, or are they heading for a showdown?
Alison Hole moderates the “Spotlight on Merger Guidelines” session.
The Commission’s consultation on merger review raises questions about the role and scope of merger control. What are the emerging themes and how do they compare to the issues that animated the recent merger review guidelines in the UK and the US.
Oliver Latham moderates the panel session titled “All points of the compass: What’s Next for Merger Control Under the New Guidelines?”
The Commission is consulting on how (and whether) to incorporate broader considerations from competitiveness and resilience, to decarbonization, into merger control and how to adapt to the realities of digitization and globalization. Meanwhile, case-by-case enforcement continues with renewed focus on portfolio effects. What will merger enforcement look like under the new guidelines, and will this update similarly last the test of time?
Philip Kalmus moderates “The Interplay of Law and Economics at the EU General Court and the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal” session.
The Honourable Mrs. Justice Bacon, President of the UK Competition Appeal Tribunal, and Judge Marc van der Woude, President of the EU General Court, will discuss how economic theory and evidence are taken into account in their respective cases, and how their judgements in turn set out the requirements for economic evidence.
Mikael Hervé moderates the panel session titled “Dominance and Disruption: Article 102 TFEU in the Digital Age.”
As the Article 102 guidelines near finalization, enforcement presses on with complex questions: What’s the threshold for anticompetitive foreclosure (Teams, FB Marketplace)? When does the AEC test apply (Search)? Is unfairness the upcoming 102 theory of harm beyond exclusion and exploitation (Apple Spotify/Match)? Should competition law protect non-rational consumers? Do remedies ever work (Ad Tech)? Is AI a game changer (Search US)? Should that which is without remedy be without regard?
Matteo Foschi moderates the panel session titled “Digital Regulation in Action: The DMA, AI, and the Future of Competition” and Fiona Scott Morton is a panelist.
In 2025 the DMA began to show its teeth with multiple non-compliance decisions and the UK DMCCA began to catch up with its first SMS designations. But 2025 was also the year where accusations of unintended consequences became more vociferous and where digital regulation seemed at risk of becoming a geopolitical bargaining chip. What next for DMA enforcement and digital regulation more generally?
For more information on this event, click here.
