Training of national judges in EU competition law

Strengthening European Integration and the Single Market

This grant provides a unique opportunity to directly contribute to the core functioning of the European Union. By training national judges, a project reinforces the very foundation of the Single Market, which relies on the uniform and consistent application of competition law across all Member States.

• Harmonized Legal Framework: The training ensures that key EU legislation, such as Articles 101 and 102 TFEU, State Aid rules, and the ECN+ Directive, are interpreted and applied coherently. This prevents legal fragmentation, where a company's competitive conduct could be judged differently from one Member State to another, thereby creating a level playing field for all businesses operating in the EU.

• Increased Legal Certainty: When judges across the EU apply competition rules consistently, it provides businesses with greater legal certainty. This reduces the risks and costs associated with cross-border investment and trade, encouraging economic activity and integration.

• Effective Decentralized Enforcement: The grant strengthens the role of national judiciaries as key enforcers of EU law. This decentralized model is fundamental to the EU's competition policy, ensuring that enforcement is not only handled by the Commission but is robust at the national level, closer to the affected markets and citizens.

Fostering Cross-Border Judicial Collaboration and Networks

A project funded under this call transcends national boundaries by building a pan-European judicial community focused on competition law.

• Pan-European Knowledge Exchange: Activities such as joint study visits to EU courts, conferences, and workshops create invaluable platforms for judges from different legal traditions to exchange best practices, discuss interpretative challenges, and learn from each other's experiences. This is particularly crucial for complex topics like the quantification of antitrust harm (Priority 3) and case management in cross-border litigation.

• Building a Common Judicial Culture: The grant facilitates the development of a shared understanding and a common European judicial culture in the field of competition law. This fosters mutual trust, which is essential for the smooth functioning of judicial cooperation mechanisms, such as those for mutual assistance between authorities (Priority 2).

• Addressing Transnational Challenges: Modern competition law challenges, especially in digital markets (Priority 5) or involving sustainability agreements (Priority 1), are inherently cross-border. A collaborative, EU-wide training approach is the only effective way to equip judges to handle these complex, evolving issues that cannot be adequately addressed by Member States acting alone.

Direct Alignment with Strategic EU Policy Priorities

This grant is not a standalone initiative; it is deeply embedded within the EU's strategic agenda, offering projects a chance to contribute to landmark policies.

• A Europe Fit for the Digital Age: The focus on digital markets, the Digital Markets Act (DMA), and the interplay with IP rights (Priority 5) directly supports the EU's ambition to create a fair and competitive Digital Single Market. Trained judges are essential for the effective enforcement of these new regulations.

• European Green Deal: By including training on sustainability agreements and the revised State Aid rules facilitating the green transition (Priorities 1 and 6), the grant ensures that the judiciary can correctly navigate the intersection of competition law and environmental goals, a cornerstone of the Green Deal.

• Deepening the Single Market: The entire grant is an instrument of the Single Market Programme (SMP). Projects directly contribute to its objective of improving the governance and functioning of the internal market by ensuring that private and public enforcement of competition rules is effective across the Union.

Enhancing Pan-European Market Access and Fairness

By empowering the judiciary, the grant directly improves market access and ensures fairness for businesses and consumers across the EU.

• Effective Redress Across the EU: Training on the Antitrust Damages Directive (Priority 3) ensures that businesses and consumers who are victims of anti-competitive practices can seek effective compensation in their national courts. This strengthens the private enforcement of competition law, creating a powerful deterrent and ensuring a fairer market for all.

• Controlling Distortive State Aid: A judiciary well-versed in State Aid rules (Priority 6) acts as a crucial check on illegal subsidies that can distort competition within the Single Market. This protects businesses, especially SMEs, from unfair competition from rivals receiving unlawful government support in other Member States.

• Scalable Impact and Resources: Funded projects will create high-quality, reusable training materials (e-learning, handbooks, manuals). These resources, developed with EU funding, can be disseminated widely, creating a scalable and cost-efficient impact that benefits the judicial systems of all eligible countries, an outcome unachievable at a purely national level.