EU Competition Law
| Module title | EU Competition Law |
|---|---|
| Module code | LAWM172 |
| Academic year | 2024/5 |
| Credits | 15 |
| Module staff | Dr Matthew Cole (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 20 |
|---|
Module description
Free markets can help provide low-priced, high-quality goods and new innovative products and services. However, companies (or ‘undertakings’) can try to undermine the market by restricting competition. Competition law is the body of rules that are created to protect competition. This module explains those rules as they exist in the EU and (to a great extent) the UK. This module will explain the rules on agreements between undertakings and the rules on what undertakings that are dominant on the market can do. It will also consider merger regulation and how some undertakings need permission to merge.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module aims at providing a critical understanding of the development of EU competition law and policy as a key area of EU law. It engages with some of the contemporary challenges faced by the competition regime such as the rise of global digital markets and a shifting understanding of what competition law is intended to achieve. The module aims to enable students to understand, assess and critically address the legal issues at stake in this field of law.
This module can enhance transferrable skills in terms of self-directed learning about current legal/business events and presentation skills.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. demonstrate a systematic and critical understanding of the role, aims and underlying principles of competition law
- 2. demonstrate detailed knowledge and understanding of the principal features of EU competition law
- 3. identify, explain, assess and analyse issues arising in the areas of competition law considered in the module and identify and apply relevant legal rules and theories to those issues
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 4. demonstrate a high level of ability in selecting, integrating and presenting coherently and reflectively, relevant law and legal/theoretical arguments
- 5. demonstrate a high level of ability in integrating and assessing information from a wide variety of primary and secondary legal sources, using this to produce reasoned arguments and analysis in relation to legal issues
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 6. demonstrate an effective, accurate and autonomous ability to manage relevant learning resources/ information/ learning strategies and to develop own reasoned arguments and opinions; and
- 7. communicate and engage in debate effectively and accurately, in a manner appropriate to the discipline and context
Syllabus plan
Whilst the module's precise content may vary, it is envisaged that the syllabus will include all or some of the following topics:
- Competition and its economic justification
- Article 101 TFEU
- Article 102 TFEU: The abuse of dominance
- Competition enforcement powers
- European Merger Control Regulation 139/2004
- Competition in Digital Markets
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 15 | 135 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 15 | 10 x 1.5 hour weekly seminars |
| Guided Independent Study | 50 | Assigned seminar readings |
| Guided Independent Study | 35 | Research for, and preparation of, formative assessment |
| Guided Independent Study | 50 | Research for, and preparation of, formative assessment |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 1000 words | 1-7 | Written feedback (oral clarification available where useful) |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 100 | 2000 words | 1-7 | Written feedback (oral clarification available where useful) |
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay (2000 words) | Essay (2000 words) | 1-7 | Referral/Deferral period |
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
- Richard Whish, David Bailey, Competition Law (10edn, OUP 2021)
- Alison Jones, Brenda Sufrin, EU Competition Law (7edn, OUP 2019)
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
- ELE – Faculty to provide hyperlink to appropriate pages https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=8817
- https://competition-policy.ec.europa.eu/index_en
- http://curia.eu
- EurLex: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/homepage.html
Indicative learning resources - Other resources
- Westlaw
- Lexis
| Credit value | 15 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 7.5 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 7 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 18/04/2023 |
| Last revision date | 18/04/2023 |
