France: Antitrust regulator announces its priorities for 2019

The Autorité de la concurrence has defined several priority actions for 2019 and has committed to an extensive strategic review exercise of its legal framework and methods of operation.

The digital sector will remain a priority in 2019. Considering the digital sector from the perspective of competition law will be one of the priorities for France’s G7 Presidency this year, in which the Autorité de la concurrence will be involved.

The Autorité will continue to invest in decryption and anticipating digital challenges, particularly through the joint project on algorithms that was launched with Germany’s national competition authority, the Bundeskartellamt, and is due be completed in 2019.

The online advertising sector, which was subject to a sector-specific Opinion in 2018, will continue to undergo an in-depth examination as part of litigation investigations opened at the end of 2018 that will look in particular at the use of data.

At the request of the French Telecommunications and Posts Regulator, the Autorité will also issue an opinion on Hertzian broadcasting services, the conventional means of broadcasting in France, in a context where TV consumption on the Internet has grown significantly in recent years.

From early 2019, the Autorité will also look into the major impact of digital technology on the audiovisual and media sector by issuing the opinion requested by the National Assembly’s Committee on Cultural Affairs, which will make recommendations on adapting the framework of audiovisual regulations.

Other sectors on the Autorité’s radar include healthcare, distribution, energy, and regulated professions.

March 2019 will see the 10th anniversary of the creation of the Autorité de la concurrence. It will mark an opportunity to make an initial assessment of the progress made so far and the next steps to come.

Full Content: Autorité de la Concurrence

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