Daniel Gore

Market definition has long lain at the heart of competition law and economics, and rumours of its death in recent years remain greatly exaggerated. Market definition remains a central topic of debate at the highest levels of competition policy : EU Commission President von der Leyen has reportedly mooted a reconsideration of how market definition is assessed, while Commissioner Vestager has announced that the first initiative of her second term will be a review of the 1997 Notice on Market Definition. This review is expected to encompass, inter alia, market definition for digital markets and the scope of geographic markets in light of continued globalisation.

1. Introduction Market definition has long played a central role in the conceptual and practical application of competition law, often having a decisive impact on the outcome of merger investigations. Deutsche Börse/NYSE, for example, was cleared in the US but blocked by the European (...)

In October 2013 the OFT decided to close an abuse of dominance investigation, launched in April 2010, against CH Jones, a leading provider of bunker fuel services to HGV fleets. This outcome marked a significant reversal from a statement of objections (“SO”) issued in February 2011, in which the (...)