Florence Competition Autumn School

The Autumn School caters to mid-career professionals seeking to deepen their expertise and practical skills in the dynamic fields of competition law and economics. Participants will have the unique opportunity to tap into the vast knowledge and academic excellence of distinguished instructors, empowering them to stay at the forefront of their respective industries. The course is particularly beneficial for:

• Officials from National Competition Authorities, government agencies, and regulatory bodies.

• Associates and partners in law firms specializing in competition law.

• In-house counsels managing competition compliance matters.

• Economic consultants specialising in industrial economics.

• Competition scholars, including doctoral researchers, post-docs, and professors.

• Advocacy officers focused on competition policy and regulatory affairs.

• Specialised journalists reporting for legal information providers.

For professionals seeking to expand their international network of connections within the competitive policy landscape, the ‘residential track’ of the Autumn School provides an ideal setting amidst the captivating beauty of Florence.

By the end of the programme, you will:

• Elevate your expertise in EU competition law, gaining a robust understanding of its theoretical foundations, policy objectives and applicative criteria
• Sharpen your analytical edge, equipping you to confidently tackle complex cases and navigate real-world antitrust challenges in the age of AI
• Develop a strategic, interdisciplinary perspective on competitive dynamics, enabling you to deliver greater value and play a more profitable asset role within your organisation.
• Stay ahead of the curve with direct insights into the latest enforcement trends, regulatory developments, soft law initiatives and legislative updates.
• Engage with top-level peers, exchanging knowledge and perspectives with professionals from diverse industries and international backgrounds, increasing your knowledge base on competition law and policy from a multistakeholder perspective
• Grow a powerful professional network, building lasting connections with experts who share your ambitions and bring complementary skills.

Super early bird fee: 750€ until 30 April 2026

Regular fee: 1500€; Early Bird fee: 1200€ until 31 July 2026.

NRAs, NCAs, public authorities and donors of the CDS: 1200€; Early Bird fee: 1000€ until 31 July 2026.

Group enrolment discounted fee – applicable to groups of three or more participants from the same institution. For more information, please contact digital.society@eui.eu.

Bundle registration fee for all CDS courses: 2500€; payment must be made by 2 October 2026.

The registration fee covers:

• Access to background reading materials
• Course attendance
• 3 lunches and 5 coffee breaks
• Aperi-keynotes
• Diploma of participation at the end of the course
• Participation to CDS Autumn Conference, EUI campus, Florence (22-23 October 2026)
• Autumn conference dinner (22 October 2026)

The registration fee does not cover:

• Travel costs to Florence
• Accommodation costs in Florence
• Transportation costs from Florence city centre to the EUI campus

Bundle registration fee covers:

• Participation in the Florence Competition Autumn School (19-22 October 2026) + CDS Autumn Conference (22-23 October 2026) at EUI campus. Including lunches, coffee breaks, conference dinner as course regular participant.
• Participation in the online training Regulating Digital Platforms, 5 weeks, (22 February- 24 March 2027)
• Participation in the course New Trends in Digital Regulation (12-14 April 2027) + following conference (14-16 April 2027) at EUI campus. Including lunches, coffee breaks, conference dinner as course regular participant.
• Participation free of charge to any additional short online course (1 day) organised by the CDS during the academic year 2026-2027 (September 2026-August 2027). The offer is valid only for online courses open to the public – i.e. Not for the ad-hoc training courses.

Bundle fee does not cover:

• Travel costs to Florence
• Accommodation costs in Florence
• Transportation costs from Florence city centre to the EUI campus

Bundle fee is granted on an individual basis – i.e. only the registered person has the right to attend the courses included in the bundle offer (i.e. in person and online courses). Bundle fee has to be paid before 2 October 2026, and it is valid for the CDS courses organized in the academic year 2026-2027. Bundle fee is not refundable, even partially.

Cancellation policy and refunds

Early Bird, Super Early Bird and Bundle registration fees are not refundable. Regular fees can be refunded in accordance with the CDS cancellation policy guidelines.

Invitation letter: The CDS Secretariat may issue an invitation letter to apply for visa for non-EU nationals. The letter may be issued only after the payment of the registration fee. For further information, please contact digital.society@eui.eu.

The Florence Competition Autumn School covers both substantive and procedural aspects of competition law and economics with both frontal lectures and practical group exercises. In particular, the School includes frontal lectures and group exercises. Every class lasts 75 minutes: 60 minutes of presentation by the speaker + 15 minutes of Q&A session, in order to incentivize the interaction between the instructor and the participants. During the group exercises, participants will face mock dawn-raids, leniency applications and trials before the EU General Court.

Certificates

At the end of the course, participants who have regularly attended the Autumn School classes will receive a ‘Certificate of Participation’.

The certificates are granted by the European University Institute, a leading post-graduate research centre founded in 1972 by the Member States of the European Union.

Continuing Professional Development

The course’s final certificate can be recognised for training credits by legal professional bodies in Germany, Austria, France, Belgium, Italy, and Ireland, depending on their individual accreditation processes.

Other countries

If you need assistance in liaising with your bar association for accreditation, please contact us at digital.society@eui.eu and we will assist with the process.

For more detailed information, you may check the programme of the previous editions of the Autumn School.

Accommodation

A limited number of rooms has been block-booked at Hotel Villa Bonelli at the confidential rates of €110 for a single room or €130 for a DUS room per night, including breakfast. To benefit from these rates, participants should book directly by email at info@hotelvillabonelli.com, indicating that they are attending the “EUI Autumn School 19-22/10/2026”. Please note that this block booking will remain available until 18 August 2026. After this date, bookings will be subject to availability and online rates.

Participants may also benefit from an agreement with Villa La Stella, which offers rooms at the confidential rates of €80 for a single room or €98 for a DUS room per night, including breakfast. To take advantage of these rates, participants should contact the hotel directly by email at info@villalastella.it, indicating the name of the event: “EUI Autumn School 19-22/10/2026”. Rates are subject to availability, and no specific booking deadline applies.

A third accommodation option is available at Hotel San Gallo, which offers rooms at the confidential rates of €180 for a DUS room or €190 for a double/twin room per night, including breakfast. To benefit from these rates, participants should contact the hotel directly by email at infosangallo@allegroitalia.it, indicating that they are attending the “EUI Autumn School 19-22/10/2026”. Please note that this block booking will remain available until 18 August 2026. After this date, bookings will be subject to availability and online rates.

For further accommodation options at preferential rates, please visit:
https://www.eui.eu/en/academic-units/robert-schuman-centre-for-advanced-studies/practical-information