Event Synopsis: Chatham House Competition Policy Conference 2023

How are international competition authorities, anti-trust regulators and businesses navigating foreign subsidies regulation, expanding merger controls screenings and digital markets?

This past November, Compass Lexecon co-sponsored the Chatham House Competition Policy Conference alongside Clifford Chance to discuss how competition policy is rapidly expanding driven by deglobalization, inflation, the rise of big tech and the green transition.

Experts Lorenzo Coppi, Joe Perkins and Andy Parkinson joined panels on sustainability and supply chain stability, merger control and investment screenings, and regulating dominance in digital markets and beyond, alongside members of the legal, government, academic and business communities.

This synopsis was originally published by Clifford Chance here. The views expressed are those of the authors only and do not necessarily represent the views of Compass Lexecon, its management, its subsidiaries, its affiliates, its employees, or clients.

Summary

The frontiers of competition policy are rapidly expanding driven by deglobalization, inflation, the rise of big tech and the green transition. As competition authorities and antitrust regulators navigate these fields, a revival of traditional methodologies and approaches is gaining traction.

Recent years have seen new regulatory regimes for subsidies and digital markets which draw on existing competition policy frameworks; however, the consistency of competition policy enforcement across jurisdictions remains a question.

Compliance requirements have also become more complex as many major jurisdictions retreat from economic effects-based approaches towards more form-based and ex-ante regulation creating an uncertain environment for international businesses and investors.

Members of the legal government, academic and business communities discussed these themes at the Chatham House Competition Policy Conference on 9 November 2023, which was held under the Chatham House Rule. The main points that were made by participants are summarised below.

View the full conference agenda here