As the digital economy continues to evolve at an unprecedented pace, the need for effective regulation and oversight of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in the tech sector has never been more critical. Mergers and acquisitions in digital markets can have far-reaching effects on competition, innovation, and consumer welfare, often raising unique challenges for antitrust authorities. Properly defining multi-sided markets, setting appropriate notification thresholds to catch killer acquisitions, considering new theories of harm emerging from the development of digital ecosystems as well as innovation defenses put forward by the merging parties are examples of the challenges currently faced by competition authorities across the globe, when asked to review M&As in the digital sector.
This course is designed to empower officials from competition authorities, private practitioners, and industry representatives with a comprehensive understanding of the main issues affecting the enforcement of merger control in digital markets. The 5-weeks online course provides both theoretical insights and practical tools, following a multi-disciplinary approach that combines both legal and economic perspectives from different jurisdictions of the world. The course combines a variety of online activities, such as weekly virtual classes, a forum of discussion, weekly and final assignments, background readings and videos, as well as group work and case studies, organized via a dedicated Brighspace online platform.
The course features a keynote speech by Emanuele Tarantino (newly appointed Chief Economist at DG Competition – European Commission) and a policy roundtable, comparing remedies designed by competition authorities of different jurisdictions of the world in digital merger cases.
The course, now in its third edition, is organised by the Centre for a Digital Society at the European University Institute, one of the leading social sciences research institute in Europe.
The training is an up-to-date course on the latest developments in merger control, offering a well-balanced combination of lectures and interactive sessions. The interactive sessions were particularly valuable, allowing participants to test newly learned content, engage with others, and gain practical insights. The diverse group of participants enriched the experience, providing perspectives from both practitioners and enforcement professionals.
Participant in the 2023 edition of the course
I highly benefited from this course, thanks to its top-notch faculty and to its technical and in-depth legal and economic approach to merger control, plus interesting case law analysis, which is perfect for professionals.
Participant in the 2023 edition of the course
WEEK 1
Opening keynote: Innovation in Merger Control
Market Definition and Market Power in Multi-Sided Markets
WEEK 2
Thresholds of Mergers Notification and Identification of Killer Acquisitions in Digital Markets
WEEK 3
Horizontal, Vertical and Conglomerate Mergers: Theories of Harm in the Digital Economy
WEEK 4
Merger Control and Foreign Direct Investments (FDIs)
WEEK 5
Merger control in Digital Markets: Perspectives on Remedies across the World
By completing this course, you will be able to:
1. Analyse the structure and substance of the EU merger control regime;
2. Apply the critical tools necessary to master merger cases;
3. Get up to date with the latest enforcement cases as well as regulatory and legislative developments;
4. Exercise newly polished competences to bring back to your organisation;
5. Expand your professional network;
6. Obtain a final official certificate issued by the European University Institute, a worldwide leading academic institution.
The course spans 5 weeks and includes one live class per week (3.5 hours in total). These live sessions will be recorded and uploaded to our e-learning platform weekly, shortly after each session. Additional asynchronous learning activities will be uploaded on our e-learning platform throughout the course.
Each week corresponds to a distinct learning module comprising dedicated reading materials, self-assessment activities, discussion forums, supplementary video lectures, and interactive live classes.
This training adopts a multidisciplinary approach, equipping participants with a blend of theoretical knowledge and practical skills, while also offering an opportunity to analyse relevant case law.
The course is designed for professionals interested in gaining in-depth knowledge over a short period of time, with a background in law or economics, including:
Officials from National Competition Authorities (NCAs), National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs) and other public bodies
In-house lawyers and legal counsels
Economic consultants
Policy and decision-makers
Academics
Continuing Professional Development
The course’s final certificate is eligible to provide training credits for lawyers from Germany, Austria, France, Belgium (13.5 credits) and Ireland.
In addition, the course is currently under review to award training credits for lawyers in Italy.
Other countries
If you need assistance in liaising with your bar association for accreditation, please contact digital.society@eui.eu and we will gladly assist with the process.
At the end of the course, participants can earn three types of certificates depending on their level of engagement and performance throughout the course.
Certificate of attendance: participants are expected to complete all the weekly quizzes. To qualify for this certificate, a commitment of 4-6 hours of learning per week is required.
Certificate of distinction: participants must complete every weekly quiz and actively engage in the weekly forum discussion by posting a message that has a meaningful contribution. The relevance of the contribution will be evaluated by our internal staff. To earn this certificate, a commitment of 6-8 hours of learning per week is expected, including attendance at 4 out of 6 classes.
Certificate of excellence: to qualify for this certificate, participants must meet the requirements for the certificate of distinction, attend all virtual classes, and submit an individual assignment by the end of the course. A commitment of 8-12 hours of learning per week, including attending all virtual classes, is expected.
General course fees: 1500 €
National Regulatory Authorities, National Competition Authorities, donors of the Centre for a Digital Society and academics: 1200 €
Post-graduate students: 1000 €
If you are an EUI student or EUI researcher, please contact anna.ferrari@eui.eu
Cancellation policy
Please note that the course fees will not be reimbursed in case of cancellation after the course start.
