Conference

Program October 9, 2025

8.30hReception
9.15hOpening by Chair of the Board, Gulbahar Tezel.
9.30uKeynote: The Future Competitiveness of Europe

European industries are facing significant competitive pressure. The Draghi Report and the Competitiveness Compass highlight major concerns such as a lack of innovation, high energy prices, regulatory barriers, and an uneven playing field. They emphasize the urgency driven by geopolitical developments and underline the importance of Europe’s competitiveness for preserving the European way of life. In his keynote speech, economist and journalist Mathijs Bouman will explore the future of Europe’s competitiveness and the necessary steps to strengthen the resilience of the European economy. He will also examine the role of competition policy in securing Europe’s future competitive position.

Mathijs Bouman, Economist and Journalist
10.45hCoffee and tea break
11.15hDutch Competition Law Rulings of the Past Year
Ruben Elkerbout, lawyer Gerardin Partners, and
Ellen Römkes, senior monitoring officer at ACM Legal Affairs Directorate  
12.30hLunch
13.30hSession round 1
You can choose from three sessions: 

Session A: Economic Highlights
How can competition authorities contribute to productivity growth and innovation? This session addresses this question in light of the Draghi Report and recent U.S. developments. Topics include the difference between consumer-focused competition and a geopolitical view of competition where competitions is conceptualised as a power struggle between different nations, the relationship between competition policy and industrial policy, and how innovation can be effectively incorporated into regulatory frameworks.

Panelists: 
Paul de Bijl, Chief Economist ACM  
Inge Graef, Associate Professor of Competition Law Tilburg University
Vincent Verouden, Senior expert DG Competition
Jan Tichem, teammanager ACM Economic Bureau (moderator) 

Session B: AI & Competition (EN)
This session (in English) explores the current AI landscape, and the opportunities and risks associated with this fast-evolving technology from a competition law perspective.

Panelists: 
Andrea Appella, Senior general counsel EMEA bij OpenAI
Angeline Woods, Legal director, global competition and EU affairs Uber 
Thibault Schrepel, Associate Professor of Law VU Amsterdam
Anne-Claire Hoyng, Global Head of Competition Policy Prosus
Helen Gornall, lawyer De Brauw Blackstone & Westbroek (moderator) 

Session C: Media & Competition
The media sector is changing rapidly due to digitalization, platformization and economies of scale. Competition law therefore faces new questions: how do we protect not only competition, but also media pluralism and a well-informed public? The planned merger between DPG and RTL raises the question whether existing assessment frameworks are still sufficient to effectively tackle the concentration of power in the media. In this panel we will discuss the role of competition law in a democratic information society and the tension between economic and social interests.
 
Panelists: 
Melanie Groenendijk, senior ACM
Nienke Venema, director Foundation Democracy and Media
Kati Cseres , associate professor of Law UvA (moderator) 
14.45hRoom change
15.00hSession round 2:
You can choose from four sessions:

Session D: State Aid
The rules for State Aid in the European Union are closely tied to competition as they aim to ensure fair competition among companies that receive support from EU member states. In the current geopolitical climate, attention is being directed towards the strategic use of state aid to enhance the competitiveness of European companies. This panel will explore the deployment of such instruments for EU industrial policy, in light of the Draghi Report, the Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR), and the upcoming Clean Industrial Deal State Aid Framework. It will also address the opportunities and threats these developments pose for businesses.

Panelists:
Miriam van Heyningen, Chief Ethics Counsellor and Head of Legal Compliance TSN
Peter Camesasca, lawyer Camesasca bvba
Ekram Belhadj, lawyer Simmons & Simmons LLP (moderator)

Session E: Merger Control (EN)
Merger control remains a dynamic area, both nationally and internationally. There is increasing support for strategic consolidation to enable greater investment. The Draghi Report contributes to this debate, advocating for more focus on efficiencies. Investment commitments have already emerged in the telecom sector. Will there also be more attention to the development of European champions to counter global competition, particularly from big tech? This session will focus on these issues and cover the recent revision of the Horizontal Merger Guidelines.

Panelist a.o.: 
Kees Schillemans, lawyer A&O Shearman

Session F: Novel cartels
This session will discuss novel cartels and the enforcement actions and investigations that we are seeing in a broader range of cases, from labour agreements to purchasing cartels, and from price indexing to price tracking.

Panelist: 
Monica Wirtz, senior legal advisor AWVN
Wolf Sauter, professor law, markets and behaviour VU Amsterdam and ACM
Pauline Kuipers, lawyer Bird & Bird

Session G: Next Gen perspectief: State of the world & Mededingingsrecht
A Next Gen session examining pressing global challenges and the role of competition law. With input from an expert in economic security and geopolitical threats, the session explores how competition law can help solve societal issues, ensure economic security, and strengthen competitiveness. Is intervention the answer—and how much room for choice remains?

Panelist: 
Willemijn Aerdts, Lecturer-Researcher Institute for Security and Global Affairs, Universiteit Leiden
Boyd Wolffers, lawyer Loyens & Loeff
Roos Elemans,
lawyer Stibbe
16.15hBreak
16.30uThesis Awards 2025
Three short pitches from the thesis award nominees followed by the awards presentation by the jury.
16.45uInterview Martijn Snoep by Gulbahar Tezel
17.30hEnd of program and drinks at KIT, hosted by RBB Economics
18.30hDinner
Location: Restaurant Kop van Oost, partially powered by RBB Economics

Location

Congress:

Koninklijk Instituut voor de Tropen
Mauritskade 63, Amsterdam

Parking:
There is no parking available at KIT. You can park on public roads in the area.

Dinner:

Restaurant Kop van Oost
Zeeburgerpad 1, Amsterdam

Drinks and dinner are made possible by RBB Economics.


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