[event] Competition Law Doctoral Forum

Organizers: Thibault Schrepel & Georgiana Mirza

Concept: We are delighted to announce the first edition of the “Competition Law Doctoral Forum.” The concept is simple yet ambitious: to establish an annual gathering of promising PhD candidates in the Netherlands focusing on (digital) competition law issues. Participants will have the opportunity to present their research, exchange ideas, and engage in meaningful discussions. For this first edition, we are pleased to announce that Martijn Snoep, President of the Dutch Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM), will join us.

When: 25 April 2025, from 10:00 to 16:00.

Where: At the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam campus.

Format: This conference uses the 3C Format to structure feedback for each presentation. Every talk will receive three types of comments: 1. Challenge (devil’s advocate); 2. Contribute (fresh perspective); 3. Commend (compliment). Why 3C? This method encourages well‐rounded discussion: identifying potential weaknesses, suggesting new angles, and recognizing strengths. It’s designed to keep the exchange both rigorous and supportive.

Program:

9:30 to 10:00 – Reception

10:00 to 10:10 – Opening remarks (Thibault Schrepel)

10:10 to 10:20 – Reflections on 20 years of supervising PhDs (Arno Lodder)

10:20 to 11:00 – Keynote Martijn Snoep

11:00 to 12:30 – Session 1 – Competition in digital markets

• David van Wamel (Leiden University): Commission’s power to impose interim measures in digital markets
• Georgiana Mirza (VU Amsterdam): Digital ecosystems in competition law and market regulation
• Max van Iersel (Tilburg University): EU merger policy’s impact on startup innovation ecosystems

12:30 to 14:00 – Lunch Break

14:00 to 15:00 – Session 2 – Overlapping regulatory regimes

• Belle Beems (Radboud University Nijmegen): Intersection of competition law, DMA, GDPR, and institutional cooperation
• Kena Zhang (Maastricht University): Antitrust in AI infrastructure (data & compute), comparing EU, US, China

15:00 to 16:00 – Session 3 – Looking ahead ((innovation, blockchain, sustainability)

• Qihan Xu (Erasmus University Rotterdam): Blockchain‐based collusive agreements in China and sufficiency of legislation
• Stephanie Penereiro (USP Law School / VU Amsterdam): Competition law and sustainability (origins, comparative overview, possible approaches)

16:00 to 16:10 – Closing Remarks (Thibault Schrepel)

16:10 to 18:00 – Cocktail reception

Registration to attend the event: