PANEL 1

10:30 - 12:00 E-COMMERCE AND VERTICAL RESTRAINTS: PENDING REFORM OF EU RULES

Moderator: Mario Krka, Partner, Divjak Topić Bahtijarević & Krka Law Firm

Speakers:

• Irini Kefalogianni, Head of Competition Law and Sustainability, CCHBC

"Countdown to the new VBER and Vertical Guidelines: the changes and the challenges"

• Renato Ferrandi, Senior Competition Expert, OECD

"Vertical roller coasters: the economic issues at stake"

• Vlatka Butorac Malnar, Associate Professor, University of Rijeka

"Second thoughts on dual distribution: What is the final say?"

• Mateja Rajacic, Ethics & Compliance Head UK & Nordics, Philip Morris International

"Distribution systems and online sales - onwards and upwards"

• Assimakis Komninos, Partner, White & Case LLP Brussels

"Retrospective and prospective of the VBER reform: EU case law and future regulatory developments"

12:00 - 13:00 Lunch break

PANEL 2

13:00 - 14:30 REFORM OF HORIZONTAL GUIDELINES

Moderator: Boris Porobija, Porobija & Porobija Law Firm

Speakers:

• Filip Tuytschaever, Partner, contrast, Professor, University of Brussels

"The reform of the horizontal block exemptions: what you need to know about the new kids on the block"

• Angélique de Brousse, Head of Competition Law and Policy Groupe EMEA, Johnson & Johnson

"Joint purchasing agreement or buyer cartel, that is the question"

• Laura Zoboli, Assistant Professor, University of Warsaw

"Information exchange between competitors: old hurdles and new challenges"

• Dr Ekatarina Rousseva, Member of the Legal Service of the European Commission

"New chapter on sustainability agreements: can companies contribute to the Green Deal objectives?"

PANEL 3

14:30 - 16:00 DIGITAL MARKETS ACT AND E-PLATFORMS: GATEKEEPERS AND INTEROPERABILITY

Moderator: Marijana Liszt, Liszt & Partners Law Firm

Speakers:

• Inge Bernaerts, Director, European Commission DG Competition

"Digital Markets Act: a new era for the digital sector"

• Bojana Ignjatović, Partner, RBB Economics, London

"Economics of digital ecosystems - is the Digital Markets Act the appropriate response?"

• Perica Miović Petronio, Head of Global Commercial, Antitrust and Regulatory Affairs, Infobip

"Digital Markets: Mergers and Acquisitions“ & "Digital Markets Act vs. Regulation in Telco Sector"

• Veljko Smiljanić, Head of Legal, United Media

"Markets and Regulation: Digital Platforms, Media and Telecoms"

• Nicolas Petit, Professor, European University Institute

"DMA: Impacts on Gatekeepers’ Monetization Strategies and Technological Trajectories"

16:00 - 16:30 Coffee break

PANEL 4

16:30 - 18:00 RIGHT OF DEFENSE IN COMPETITION LAW

Moderator: Igor Mucalo, Attorney-at-Law, Mucalo Law Office

Speakers:

• Antonio Capobianco, Senior Competition Expert, OECD

"Promoting Due Process at International Level – the Role of the OECD"

• Luca Crocco, Partner, Latham & Watkins, Brussels

"The pendulum of EU competition procedure – from rights of the defence to integrity of the process"

• Maciej Bernatt, Professor, University of Warsaw; Director, Centre for Antitrust and Regulatory Studies

"Right of defense in national competition proceedings - Central Europe perspective"

• Mislav Bradvica, Partner, BMWC Law firm

"Professionally silent - notes on legal professional privilege and the right to remain silent"

20:00-21:00 Cocktail

21:00 - 24:00 GALA DINNER- HOTEL AMBASADOR 5*

PANEL 2

11:00 - 12:30 COMPETITION LAW SYSTEMS IN CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE: A BOTTOM-UP APPROACH (2)

Moderator: Alexandr Svetlicinii, Associate Professor, University of Macau

Speakers:

• Marija Filipovska, CMS Reich-Rohrwig Hainz DOOEL

Srđan Janković, PETRIKIĆ & PARTNERI AOD in cooperation with CMS Reich-Rohrwig Hainz

Robert Kordić, CMS Slovenia

Marija Zrno Prošić , Law firm Bardek, Lisac, Mušec, Skoko and partners in cooperation with CMS Reich-Rohrwig Hainz

"Exchange of sensitive information as a breach of competition law – differences between standards in the EU and in certain CEE countries"

• Darija Ognjenović, Partner, Prica & Partners, Belgrade

"Competition law system in Serbia – ups and downs"

• Ivančica Bobek, Attorney-at-Law, Gugić, Kovačić & Krivić Zagreb

"The Overview of Commitment Decisions in the European Union and Croatia with an Emphasis on the Recent Practice of Croatian Competition Agency"

• Avdylkader Mucaj, Professor, University of Prizren

"The role of the judiciary on (none) effective enforcement of competition law in the new jurisdictions"

• Ondrej Blažo, Institute of European Law, Faculty of Law, Comenius University Bratislava

"Ten years of Slovak settlement regime in antitrust matters: From European inspirations to national inventions"

10:30 – 13:00 Parallel program- meeting room 2

COMPETITION COMPLIANCE TRAINING – BRUSHING UP ON YOUR DO’S AND DON’TS

This year, for the first time, Day 2 of the conference includes a parallel program - a competition compliance training held by recognized Croatian practitioners covering the basic concepts and rules of EU and Croatian competition law (including abuse of dominance, cartels and other restrictive agreements, merger clearance, enforcement procedures, etc.). Unlike the rest of the conference program, this training will be held in Croatian and is designed for participants from all business sectors and industries (both legal and non-legal) who wish to gain, refresh or strengthen their basic competition compliance knowledge and skills.

Speakers:

• Mislav Bradvica, Partner, BMWC Law Firm

• Igor Mucalo, Attorney at Law, Mucalo Law Office

• Mario Krka, Partner, Divjak, Topić, Bahtijarević & Krka Law Firm

12:30 - 13:30 Lunch break

PANEL 3

13:30 - 16:00 RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE CEE & SEE REGION

Moderator: Dunja Simunic Mehdin, Legal Director-Business Unit Adria, President of ICC Croatia Competition Commission

Speakers:

• Dr Mirta Kapural, President of the Competition Council, Croatian Competition Agency

"Novelties in competition legislation and case law in Croatia"

• Marija Zrno Prošić, Partner, CMS Law office

"Recent practice of the competition agency and courts in Croatia – key takeaways"

• Andrej Matvoz, Director of the Slovenian Competition Protection Agency

"Challenges and development of competition law in Slovenia"

• Matej Kavčič, Partner, Law Firm Kavčič, Bračun & Partners

"Merger control challenges in response to the Ukraine crisis: Case analysis of a failing bank acquisition"

• Kamil Nejezchleb, Vice-Chairman, Competition Section, Czech Office for the Protection of Competition

"Recent and upcoming developments in the Czech Competition law"

• Dr Judit Firniksz, Researcher, Competition Law Research Center, Pázmány Péter Catholic University

"Lessons are not given, they are taken - challenges of the digital economy in the Hungarian market"

• Rastko Petaković, Senior partner Karanovic & partners

"Focus on Competition in SEE – recent merger control and antitrust case law"

END OF CONFERENCE

Speakers Biography are available here

Language

All working sessions and Conference materials will be in English.