Communication
The aim of the protection of market competition is primarily to create benefits for consumers and equal conditions for all entrepreneurs on the market, who, acting in accordance with the existing rules and competing on the market with the quality, price and innovation of their products and services, contribute to the overall development of the economy.
Conference “Competition Law: At the Crossroads” held in Split
The Croatian Association for Competition Law and Policy (HDPPTN), in cooperation with the Faculty of Economics and Business, University of Zagreb, and the European Documentation Centre, hosted the 9th edition of the traditional international conference in memory of the late professor Vedran Šoljan—one of the pioneers of Croatian competition law.
The conference, titled “Competition Law: At the Crossroads,” took place in Split from 22 to 24 May 2025 and gathered a wide range of stakeholders from the field of competition law, including representatives of national competition authorities, judicial institutions, attorneys, in-house lawyers, academics, undertakings, and other practitioners.
Participants discussed the most pressing and contemporary issues in the field of competition law, with particular focus on:
- the role of innovation in competition,
- the new European Commission Guidelines on the application of Article 102 TFEU,
- legal challenges arising from the EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation, and
- the proposed New Competition Tool.
The keynote speeches drew special attention:
- Prof. Nicolas Petit (European University Institute, EUI) addressed the importance of assessing firms’ innovation capabilities in merger control proceedings;
- Prof. Michal Gal (University of Haifa) presented on the impact of artificial intelligence on competition and the cost of living.
The conference welcomed experts from the Court of Justice of the European Union, the European Commission, the OECD, as well as national competition authorities, academia, and legal practice.
Three thematic panels were held as part of the conference:
- Twenty years of the European Competition Network and Regulation 1/2003 – where professionals exchanged experience and discussed enforcement challenges across the EU;
- Public procurement and bid rigging – focusing on current enforcement issues and good practice;
- Competition and sports – exploring legal questions at the intersection of competition law and sports regulation.
The final day of the conference was dedicated to interactive workshops led by Croatian experts, offering participants the opportunity to engage in hands-on discussion and deepen their practical knowledge.
In her opening remarks, Mirta Kapural, Phd, president of the Croatian Competition Council, highlighted the importance of the conference for the continued development of competition law in both Croatia and the European Union. Branimira Kovačević, vice-president of the Council, participated in the panel discussion “Twenty years of the European Competition Network and Regulation 1/2003.”
In addition, the CCA representatives Nikolina Moslavac and Ana Pavlaković Skočić took part in the workshop titled “Merger control: The importance of informal pre-notification meetings,” where they presented Croatian practice in merger control procedures.