|
|
Relevant markets in the energy sector (in decision-making practice of the Office for the Protection of Competition)
Kujaníková, Tereza ; Eichlerová, Kateřina (advisor) ; Horáček, Tomáš (referee)
Relevant markets in the energy sector (in decision-making practice of the Office for the Protection of Competition) Abstract The purpose of my thesis is to analyze the issue of relevant markets delineation in energy sector. More precisely, to determine which relevant markets have been identified in this sector by the Czech Office for the Protection of Competition, eventually by the European Commission. The reason for my research derives from absence of any comprehensive study dealing with the subject matter, despite its essential importance both for competitors and competition itself. To identify relevant markets is a prerequisite for ruling competition cases by antimonopoly authorities (while assessing concentration of undertakings, abuse of a dominant position or anticompetitive agreements). The thesis is composed of three parts, each of them dealing with different aspects of relevant markets delineation. Part One is introductory and defines scope and basic terminology used in the thesis: competition, competitors and energy. Part Two examines more closely methodology of identifying relevant markets. This part consists of five chapters. Chapter One focuses on relevant market definition and its importance. Chapters Two to Four deal with different perspectives of its delineation, i.e. product, geographic and...
|
|
|
Application of competition law on the markets with multisided platforms
Mikeš, Stanislav ; Černá, Stanislava (advisor) ; Horáček, Tomáš (referee)
1 Application of competition law on the markets with multisided platforms Abstract This rigorous thesis deals with a phenomenon of multisided platforms from the competition law perspective with a special focus on online multisided platforms. A notion of multisided platforms is explained in the thesis as well as its implications for the competition law. It is then examined how a market structure of a multisided platform influences a process of delimitation of a relevant market and assessment of a market power as two basic pillars of every competition law analysis. Theoretical findings are then confronted with a selected decision-making practice of EU and national competition authorities dealing with the phenomenon of multisided platforms. The thesis is structured into four main chapters. Chapter One contains a brief introduction into the subject-matter and sets out goals of this thesis which are to present the phenomenon of multisided platforms, explore its specifics and show how the methods of competition law analysis needs to be adapted in other to correctly assess all the specifics of the multisided platforms. Chapter Two presents various definitions of multisided platforms in academic literature. Potential categories of multisided platforms are presented in this chapter. The notion of multisided...
|
|
|
Predatory Behaviour in Transportation Sector - "Czech Railways v. Leo Express" case
Slámová, Iva ; Vacek, Pavel (advisor) ; Schwarz, Jiří (referee)
It is important to control whether dominant companies in particular market sectors follow laws and rules and do not abuse their dominance at the expense of weaker companies. This behaviour is likely to damage current or avoid the entry of new competitors, shrink the competition and set the environment for price changes the consumer is exposed to. The thesis clarifies the theoretical aspect of this issue and tries to apply it on the real case from the railway transport sector in order to describe the procedure of defining relevant market and market share and investigating the abusive behaviour. A questionnaire survey among railway passeners is an integral part of the thesis. JEL Classification D21, D22, K21, L11, L12, L40 Keywords Predatory prices, relevant market, SSNIP test, railway transport, Czech Railways Author's e-mail Iva-Slamova@seznam.cz Supervisor's e-mail vacek@fsv.cuni.cz
|
|
|
Definition of Relevant Market in Rail Transportation on the Route Prague - Košice using consumer survey
Juhásová, Zuzana ; Vacek, Pavel (advisor) ; Luňáčková, Petra (referee)
The aim of the thesis is to define the relevant market in railway transportation on the route Prague - Košice. In the theoretical part we describe the concept of relevant market, its use and importance for competition policy. We explain methods used for defining the relevant market and focus on the SSNIP test and its practical application, critical loss analysis. In the empirical part we conduct a consumer survey among passenger on the route Prague - Košice and use its results to compute elasticity of demand for rail transportation on the route Prague - Košice and then we perform critical loss analysis. JEL Classification C80, C81, D42, D47,K21, L41, L92 Keywords relevant market, SSNIP test, critical loss analysis, critical elasticity, critical loss Author's e-mail juhasova.zuzana@gmail.com Supervisor's e-mail vacek@fsv.cuni.cz
|
|
|
Legal aspects of dominant position
Topinková, Kateřina ; Horáček, Vít (advisor) ; Rozehnal, Aleš (referee)
Smyslem práce bylo popsat a kriticky zhodnotit právní úpravu dominantního postavení a s ním úzce spojené vymezení relevantního trhu v prostředí České republiky, Evropské unie a kolébky moderního antitrustového zákonodárství Spojených států amerických. Důraz byl kladen na komparativní analýzu systémů, zejména co se týče vymezení klíčových pojmů a celkového přístupu. Nastíněn byl historický vývoj soutěžního práva se zaměřením na dominantní postavení, jehož určení může mít pro soutěžitele nepříjemné následky a nutnost větší opatrnosti. Následně byly podrobněji představeny úpravy ve vymezených systémech s ohledem na zásadní otázky stanovení dominantního postavení na trhu současně s podrobným představením vymezování relevantního trhu, kde se následně dominance určuje, přes průběžné objasňování a diskutování dalších pojmů v právních předpisech využívaných. Značný prostor byl věnován problematice substituovatelnosti výrobků a služeb, který představoval základní úskalí při vymezování relevantního trhu. Při výkladu bylo pracováno zejména s právními předpisy, klíčovými rozhodnutími soudních orgánů, doplňkovými výkladovými materiály a odbornou literaturou. Práce také částečně hodnotí účelnost a funkčnost úpravy. V praktické části práce byly rozebrány dva vzorové případy Úřadu pro ochranu hospodářské soutěže,...
|
|
|
Competitor's Dominant Position and Its Abuse in the Czech and European Law
Kuckirová, Natalia ; Horáček, Vít (advisor) ; Eichlerová, Kateřina (referee)
- Competitor's Dominant Position and Its Abuse in the Czech and European Law The aim of this thesis is to identify and analyze issues of market dominance and its abuse as one of the most important areas of the competition law. An indispensable part of every analysis of such abuse is also a definition and assessment of the relevant market which we will deal with in a separate section of this thesis. The issue of abuse of a dominant position is analyzed with the help of the competition rules and the judicial practice of the competent authorities, both at the community and national level. First chapters are designed as an introduction to the issue of dominance, offering readers a better understanding of often ambiguous approach to competition law, its restrictions and distortions. We will also be dealing with related terms such as the competitor, the company and their mutual interchangeability. Special attention will be paid to the introduction and further analysis of the relevant market, where the correct definition is the basis for the assessment of any competition case. The issue of relevant market is demonstrated on particular examples, especially on the current case of Student Agency, where the mode of defining the relevant market also decides the final outcome of the case with respect to the...
|
|
|
The importance of the undertaking's dominant position under the Competition law of the EU and its delimitation
Šedová, Klára ; Scheu, Harald Christian (advisor) ; Šmejkal, Václav (referee)
The purpose of this master thesis is to define the term "dominant position" of an undertaking under the EU Competition Law and to find out, what circumstances are decisive in order to be able to identify existence of a dominant position. The second part of the thesis focuses on actual problems connected with the dominant undertakings, namely the standardization and the effectiveness of the interventions of competition authorities into the actions of dominant undertakings on rapidly developing IT markets. The thesis deals with the concept of dominant position and does not address particular types of abusive behaviour enumerated in Article 102 (a) - (d) TFEU. The first chapter briefly describes the system of EU Competition Law. The focus is directed on agreements distorting competition (Art. 101 TFEU), abuse of dominant position (Art. 102 TFEU) and control of concentrations between undertakings (Council Regulation No. 139/2004). The second chapter looks at the term "dominant position" of an undertaking and its delimitations. The subchapters describe definition of relevant market, market share, market power and other market conditions which shall be taken into account in the dominant position analysis. Space is further devoted to the existing dominant position on the neighbouring market and to the...
|
|
|
Predatory Pricing in Transport Sector: Case Study of the STUDENT AGENCY, s.r.o.
Dobiáš, Adam ; Vacek, Pavel (advisor) ; Vaško, Dan (referee)
Predatory Pricing in Transport Sector: Case Study of the STUDENT AGENCY, s.r.o. Abstract This paper deals with predatory pricing in transport sector. A situation when one company sells its product at a very low price, intending to illegally drive competitors out of the market. Aim of this paper is to discuss mentioned issues in transport sector and to explain methods of solving predatory cases according to the newest guidelines of the European Commission, national competition au- thorities and national courts. Market delineation, dominance determination and predation cost analysis is discussed. Not only theoretical aspect of predatory behaviour and its impact on competition but also a detection of predatory pri- cing by authorities is discussed. Special attention to the specifics of transport sector is given. The core of this paper is an analysis of STUDENT AGENCY, s.r.o. case from year 2008, when mentioned company was accused of predatory pricing on their bus line Praha-Brno. Keywords predatory pricing, antitrust, competition, re- levant market, dominance, transportation, SS- NIP test, Reverse Cellophane Fallacy, Office for the Protection of Competition, STUDENT AGENCY, s.r.o.
|
|
|
Abuse of dominant position in Czech law and European law
Peták, Šimon ; Černá, Stanislava (advisor) ; Patěk, Daniel (referee) ; Kindl, Jiří (referee)
This paper analyzes regulation of abuse of dominant position under the law of the European Union and under the Czech law. Both the European and Czech competition laws are not only very similar, as the Czech Act on Protection of Competition is inspired by the European competition law, but after the so called modernization of the European competition law, including the decentralization of its enforcement, the Czech authorities are entitled (and obliged at the same time) to apply the European competition law. Given the special relation between the two legal orders, this paper does not attempt to compare the two, but rather to analyze them it their mutual relation, which is the basic view for the submitted analysis. Firstly, a basic introduction to the problems of competition economics is presented, including characteristics of the basic functions and principles thereof. An explanation of the economic background and different models of competition follows, particularly of those important for understanding the specifics of dominant undertakings' behaviour and motivation. Models of monopoly, oligopoly and monopolistic competition are briefly described in opposition to the model of perfect competition and also some other important approaches to this issue are addressed, including the basic views of the...
|
|
|
Abuse of a dominant position and the concept of relevant market
Bacíková, Martina ; Horáček, Vít (advisor) ; Eichlerová, Kateřina (referee)
Reference 1 1 Abstract - Abuse of a dominant position and the concept of relevant market The main aim of this thesis was firstly to describe the definition of abuse of dominant position constitute as one of the pillars of competition law (except for agreements distorting competition and illegal merger) and secondly to define the concept of the relevant market in accordance with the interpretation of rules on competition and the case law of the European Commission, the Court of First Instance, European Court Justice and the Office for Protection of the Competition. The introductory chapters I have tried to acquaint potential readers especially with the interpretation of key concepts, facilitating global orientation through the issue of competition and its distortion or restriction. Mainly to work with concepts such as competition, competition law, cartel law, undertaking, company, etc. Without explanation and interpretation of these key concepts could seldom be properly grasp the issue of abuse of dominant position. In the next section, I focus on issues describe the subject of my thesis and a dominant market position and its forms of abuse. A comprehensive interpretation of the issue greatly assists the Community case-law for this purpose I chose the most significant cases clarifying fundamental questions...
|
guest ::
