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...

Le médicament propose de concilier sa finalité sanitaire et la maîtrise budgétaire en empruntant la voie concurrentielle par laquelle le paysage des antagonismes ne cesse de défiler. Convoquant le droit dans son dessein, le médicament lui présente des conditions semblant indépassables ; surtout lorsque dans l'équation s'invite un autre objet paradoxal : le marché. La rencontre d'une demande irrationnelle, insensibilisée à la dépense qui, de surcroit, ne détermine pas seule son besoin, avec une offre naturellement monopolistique oblige l'intrusion de l'État dans les mécanismes de marché. La détermination du marché pertinent, outil économique converti au droit, en devient un précieux outil politique. Offrant d'expliquer le marché en identifiant sa réalité concurrentielle, il oblige à l'analyse de ses structures, des déterminants comportementaux des agents s'y confrontant et, plus que de révéler des pouvoirs de marché qui manquent d'être équilibrés, renseigne sur l'état du marché : son équilibre concurrentiel, sa finalité naturelle ; son équilibre social, sa finalité culturelle. Délimitant le champ d'application du droit de la concurrence, le marché pertinent conditionne la stratégie concurrentielle des opérateurs et cristallise les tensions entre le droit et l'économie. Cette thèse démontre que malgré les typicités du médicament, la méthodologie traditionnelle de définition du marché pertinent demeure opérationnelle dans le secteur pharmaceutique. / The definition of the relevant market aims at identifying the competitive constraints that an undertaking faces and, thus, defines the scope of competition law enforcement. Given the antagonisms that characterise the pharmaceutical sector, defining the relevant market in this industry seems to disqualify the classic methodology and points out the tensions between law and economy. The interaction of an irrational demand - one which is insensitive to the expenditures and that doesn't define its needs on its own - with an offer naturally monopolistic, makes the involvement of the State in the market mechanisms strictly necessary to ensure its equilibrium. This thesis demonstrates how the conventional tools used to define relevant product markets remain operational inspite of the idiosyncrasies of the pharmaceutical sector.

Relevant market on multisided online platforms in the view of the European Commission and doctrine Abstract The master thesis deals with the issue of defining the relevant market in relation to multilateral platforms. In its first part, it analyzes in detail the leading theories regarding a definition of a multisided platform is its typology. The conclusions of these analyzes then form the basis of the second part, which is the core of the work. There are described leading methods of defining the relevant market, problems with their application to multisided platforms and doctrinal proposals on how to modify these methods. This core part first deals with the dilemma of defining one market encompassing both sides of a platform or separate markets for each side of the platform and then it focuses on the issue of implementation of the SSNIP test. The individual decisions of the Commission are confronted with the comprehensive conclusions of the doctrine within the individual analyzes, and the compliance of the Commission's approach in the given decision with the doctrine is assessed here. Keywords: multisided platforms, relevant market, SSNIP test

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

The subject of this diploma thesis is the appraisal of the A. R. Okenní technika spol. s r.o., as of 1. 1. 2010. The thesis is comprised of four main parts. Financial analysis is aimed at examining the company's financial health. Strategic analysis defines and evaluates the relevant market in which the company operates and it also quantifies the potential of the company to succeed. Executing both analyses provides the answer about whether the company fulfills the going concern requirement. The third portion assesses the main figures which determine the value of the company. Based upon these assessments a financial plan is constructed. In the final part, the company is appraised by using two methods -- DCF Entity method and market comparison method.

O teste do monopolista hipotético, descrito nos guias de defesa da concorrência dos vários países do mundo, consiste na metodologia usada para definir o tamanho do mercado de um bem. Os testes de preços constituem uma das formas de operacionalizar o teste do monopolista hipotético via análise de cointegração. Considerando a ausência de intersecção desta área antitruste da economia com a área de computação, esse trabalho desenvolveu e implementou o teste de cointegração não linear de Kapetanios et al. (2006), como proposta de teste de preços, para avaliar se estes bens pertencem a um mesmo mercado relevante. Este objetivo é vinculado ao desenvolvimento de uma ferramenta visual de informação (computacional) com o objetivo de facilitar a apresentação vinculada aos resultados obtidos, uma vez que a área de antitruste envolve diferentes grupos de profissionais e agentes (consumidores e produtores). A ferramenta visual resultante busca facilitar a apresentação dos conceitos econômicos envolvidos em relação aos resultados normalmente apresentados. / The hypothetical monopolist test, described in guidebooks antitrust various countries of the world, is the methodology used to define the size of the market for a good. The tests of prices are one of the ways to operationalize the hypothetical monopolist test via cointegration analysis. Considering the absence of this intersection area of antitrust economics to the field of computing, this paper developed and implemented the nonlinear cointegration test of Kapetanios et al. (2006), as proposed price test to assess whether these goods belong to the same relevant market. This objective is linked to the development of a visual tool for information (computational) in order to facilitate the presentation linked to the results obtained, since the area of antitrust involves different groups of professionals and agents (consumers and producers). The resulting visual search tool facilitate the presentation of economic concepts involved in relation to the results presented normally.

Em 1999, o mercado de medicamentos genéricos foi criado no Brasil. Com isso, iniciou-se uma nova fase do mercado farmacêutico brasileiro. Através de dados cedidos pela ANVISA sobre o mercado varejista brasileiro, objetivou-se testar em até que ponto a política de medicamentos genéricos tem logrado êxito. Foram utilizados dados em painel para analisar o impacto da entrada dos medicamentos genéricos sobre a estrutura do mercado, assim como o impacto nos preços e na quantidade vendida entre 2003 e 2007. Os resultados foram favoráveis à diminuição da concentração dos mercados relevantes da amostragem e também ao aumento da quantidade comercializada. Em relação aos preços, o modelo se mostrou pouco significativo, provavelmente pela política de medicamentos genéricos ser um instrumento indireto de controle de preços. De qualquer forma, os resultados encontrados parecem sugerir o bom andamento da política de medicamentos genéricos, o que é um alívio em se tratando de um mercado tão essencial para o bem-estar da população. / In 1999, the generic medicines market was created in Brazil. Thus, a new phase of the Brazilian pharmaceutical market began. Through data provided by ANVISA on the Brazilian retail market, aimed to test in how far the generic drug policy has been successful, we used panel data to analyze the impact of the entry of generic drugs on the market structure, as well as the impact on prices and quantities sold between 2003 and 2007. The results were favorable to the policy as they show decrease of the concentration level in the relevant markets of the sample and also increase of the quantity sold. Regarding prices, the model was negligible, probably due to generic drug policy being an instrument of indirect price control. Anyway, the results seem to suggest the progress of the generic drug policy, which is a relief when it comes to a market as essential for the welfare of the population.

O teste do monopolista hipotético, descrito nos guias de defesa da concorrência dos vários países do mundo, consiste na metodologia usada para definir o tamanho do mercado de um bem. Os testes de preços constituem uma das formas de operacionalizar o teste do monopolista hipotético via análise de cointegração. Considerando a ausência de intersecção desta área antitruste da economia com a área de computação, esse trabalho desenvolveu e implementou o teste de cointegração não linear de Kapetanios et al. (2006), como proposta de teste de preços, para avaliar se estes bens pertencem a um mesmo mercado relevante. Este objetivo é vinculado ao desenvolvimento de uma ferramenta visual de informação (computacional) com o objetivo de facilitar a apresentação vinculada aos resultados obtidos, uma vez que a área de antitruste envolve diferentes grupos de profissionais e agentes (consumidores e produtores). A ferramenta visual resultante busca facilitar a apresentação dos conceitos econômicos envolvidos em relação aos resultados normalmente apresentados. / The hypothetical monopolist test, described in guidebooks antitrust various countries of the world, is the methodology used to define the size of the market for a good. The tests of prices are one of the ways to operationalize the hypothetical monopolist test via cointegration analysis. Considering the absence of this intersection area of antitrust economics to the field of computing, this paper developed and implemented the nonlinear cointegration test of Kapetanios et al. (2006), as proposed price test to assess whether these goods belong to the same relevant market. This objective is linked to the development of a visual tool for information (computational) in order to facilitate the presentation linked to the results obtained, since the area of antitrust involves different groups of professionals and agents (consumers and producers). The resulting visual search tool facilitate the presentation of economic concepts involved in relation to the results presented normally.

<p>The decision of the European Commission to block the merger between Volvo and Scania in the late 90’s became the starting point to the debate of the possible discriminating effects of the European merger regulation. Especially since the Commission a few years earlier had approved of the merger between Mercedes-Benz and Kässbohrer on the German bus market, where the conditions for competition had been similar to those at hand in the Swedish case. The issue that was and still is in focus is whether the European merger regulation is more difficult to pass for large companies situated on a smaller domestic market than is the case for their competitors of corresponding size but situated on a larger domestic market.</p><p>This thesis aims at examining what the judgement of the geographical relevant market means for the application of the Merger act. This is being done from two perspectives. Firstly how the geographical criterion affects large merging companies situated on a relatively small domestic market and secondly how it affects a member state like Sweden, which is so dependent on its large companies. The purpose of this thesis also opens for a discussion of how rigid the merger control can be in an open market economy.</p><p>The company perspective of the purpose is being pursued in two studies of the merger cases Volvo-Scania and Mercedes-Benz/Kässbohrer, being four national champs with differing size of domestic markets. The member state angle considers the smaller state dependence on its large companies and if that dependence itself creates a disadvantage in a merger case. The end of the purpose opens for a common discussion of the legitimacy of merger control in an open market economy. After analysing these aspects the thesis concludes that the geographical criterion makes it impossible for large companies with a relatively small domestic market to merge when a market bears the stamp of brand loyalty. Considering the small member state the conclusion is that the European merger control offers both pros and cons for consumers and that smaller states would be better off with a more producer-oriented merger law. The ending conclusion questions the Merger act as an intervening tool because of its arbitrary aspect depending on which composition the Commission has when a merger is announced.</p>

<p>Competition law is an area which is going through changes over time, especially EC competition law in regard to the ongoing process of market integration. The definition of the relevant geographic market within EC competition law is of importance to define, both in case law and for undertakings and their businesses, as the law should be predictable. Before Article 82 of the EC Treaty, which prohibits abusive behaviour by undertakings, is applicable the relevant geographic market has to be defined. As is the case with the Merger Regulation, the relevant geographic market has to be defined to make an assessment of the undertakings’ activities. The definition of the geographic market is then used as a tool in the analysis of the assessment of competition and the effects of measures carried out by undertakings which restrain competition. Thus, the definition of the relevant geographic market is crucial for the purposes of Community competition law.</p><p>The definition of the relevant geographic market can be said to be an area where “the objective conditions of competition applying to the product in question must be the same for all traders” as established in United Brands. In Deutsche Bahn it was clarified that “... the definition of the geographical market does not require the objective conditions of competition between traders to be perfectly homogenous”. It is enough if they are similar, therefore areas in which the objective conditions of competition are different, are not considered to be a uniform market.</p><p>In the Commission Notice on the definition of relevant market for the purposes of Community competition law the Commission’s work to define the relevant geographic market is described as well as the evidence the Commission contemplates in its assessment. The substitutability test is relied on by the Commission. In case law from the European Court of Justice, the Court of First Instance, and the Commission, different factors are scrutinized to establish the relevant geographic market. Such factors are e.g., the undertakings’ activities, barriers to trade, and barriers to entry.</p><p>The significance of the evidence and the factors used in the definition of the relevant geographic market are debatable. The factors considered vary on a case to case basis and they need to differ to make a correct assessment of the relevant geographic market in every case within EC competition law.</p>