Research news

Competition law turns Green - series launched by 3E Research Centre, Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU) and BCLP law firm

On Wednesday 23 June, the Research Centre for Environment, Economy and Energy (3E) launched with the WU (Competition Law and Digitalization Group) and BCLP law firm their seminar series “Competition Law Turns Green”. The recently adopted EU Green Deal reflects the Union’s ambitious commitment to transform Europe into a sustainable and competitive economy, turning environmental challenges into opportunities. An important area where sustainability thinking is called upon to be introduced into economic law and policy is competition law. “How to respond to that call of sustainability in competition law is thus a live and pressing issue. That is why the 3E Research Centre and Vienna University of Economics and Business want to take it up in a series of four expert seminars”, noted the co-organisers Klaudia Majcher (3E & WU), David Anderson (3E & BCLP law firm) and Harri Kalimo (3E). In Wednesday’s opening session, the organisers introduced the idea of reflecting on the discussion from the viewpoints of three camps – the retainers (who see only a limited role for sustainability considerations in competition law), the reformers (who believe that competition law is to turn greener) and the reflecters (that are still undecided). The speakers of the event, Christina Volpin (OECD), Dirk Mittelschulte (Unilever) and Vesa Terävä (heading the Commission’s Unit on the Green Deal) explored competition law and policy in-depth from these three viewpoints. “The speakers magnificently opened the series, introducing the topics of the upcoming virtual seminars that will follow between September and December 2021. We’ll bring together further leading academics, policy-makers, regulators, and practitioners to offer diverse perspectives from law and environmental science to economics”, stated the organisers. 

 

Competition law turns Green -series during autumn

# 2 Focus on Legal: Hold or Move?

·       Wednesday 6 October

# 3 Focus on Environmental Economics

·       Wednesday 10 November

# 4 Focus on Agency/Government Action and Advocacy with the Private Sector

·       Thursday 10 December