TILEC Work In Progress: Eric van Damme
Economic theories of harm and actual damages in cartel cases
Agreements that restrict competition are prohibited. The restriction of competition can be by object or by effect. If there is a restriction by object, the European Commission need not show that there are effects; hence, it is possible that there are none. For “hard core cartels”, economic theory unambiguously indicates harm to consumer welfare, but this is not the case for all “object” cases. In such cases, consumers can claim damages, but how does one prove that one has indeed incurred damages? Is this a purely empirical exercise, or does economic theory have a role to play? If so, what conditions should the theory satisfy to be taken seriously by a court. I will illustrate these questions by means of an actual EU case. (Hence, this presentation will be a mix of ClubIO and ClubMed.)
Speaker: Eric van Damme
Time: 10:45-11:45
Host: Florian Schütt
Moderator:Konrad Borowicz
* For more information regarding this event please contact M. van Genk , 24 hours before the event at latest.