The European Union competition law in light of digital economy

Digitalizacija je s preoblikovanjem gospodarstva posegla tudi v domeno konkurenčnega prava v Evropski Uniji. S seboj je prinesla mnoge koristi, ki so občutno olajšale življenje ljudem in poslovanje podjetjem, a hkrati razgalila svoje inherentne slabosti, ki ogrožajo temeljne pravne dobrine. Magistrska naloga je sestavljena tako, da bralcu omogoča vpogled v spremembe na področju konkurenčnega prava EU, ki so nastale kot posledica razvoja digitalnega gospodarstva. Posebnosti tega fenomena so opozorile na pomanjkljivosti trenutne konkurenčne regulative, katere postulat predstavljajo 101. in 102. člen Pogodbe o delovanju Evropske Unije ter Uredba o koncentracijah. Prvi del magistrske naloge opredeli lastnosti digitalnega gospodarstva kot so skrajna ekonomija obsega, močni mrežni učinki, večstranski trgi in vloga podatkov za lažje razumevanje kasnejše konkurenčnopravne problematike. Drugi del ponazori potrebo po modifikaciji uveljavljenega konkurenčnega instrumentarija skozi analizo standarda blaginje potrošnikov in določitve upoštevnega trga za zagotovitev učinkovite konkurence na digitalnih trgih. Magistrska naloga nato kritično analizira različne probleme vseh treh področij antitrusta, ki jih povzročajo lastnosti digitalnega gospodarstva. Predvsem se osredotoči na uporabo algoritmov kot orodij za kršitev 101. člena PDEU, Big Tech podjetja, ki kontinuirano zlorabljajo svoj prevladujoč položaj in vlogo podatkov v presoji koncentracij. Zadnji del je namenjen temeljiti preučitvi Akta o digitalnih trgih, ki naslavlja problematiko t.i. vratarjev, platform, ki imajo trajen položaj na trgu in hkrati predstavljajo ovire za vstop na trg. Posebej je izpostavljen odnos med Aktom in konkurenčnim pravom ter morebiten nastanek kršitve načela ne bis in idem.Digitalisation with its transformation of the economy has entered the domain of European Union competition law. It has brought numerous benefits, which significantly improved the lives of people and business for undertakings whilst further exposing its inherent weaknesses and thus threatening the fundamental legal goods. The master\u27s thesis is composed in such manner as to give the reader an insight into the changes in the field of EU competition law, which have arisen due to advancement of the digital economy. Distinctions of said phenomenon identify the deficiencies of current competition regulations, the postulate of which are Articles 101 and 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and the EU Merger Regulation. The first part of the master\u27s thesis defines characteristics of the digital economy such as extreme economies of scope, strong network effects, multi-sided markets, and the role of data for a clear understanding of subsequent competition law issues. The second part portrays the need to modify established competition instruments through the analysis of consumer welfare standard and the relevant market definition to ensure effective competition in digital markets. The master\u27s thesis then scrutinizes various problems of all three antitrust fields that were affected by the characteristics of digital economy. Primarily, it focuses on algorithms being used as tools for the violation of Article 101, Big Tech companies that continuously abuse their dominant position and the role of data in the assessment of merger control. The last part is devoted to a thorough exploration of the Digital Markets Act, which addresses the issue of so-called gatekeepers, platforms that have a permanent position on the market whilst simultaneously embodying barriers to market entry. Consideration is given to the link between DMA and competition law as well as the potential violation of the principle of ne bis in idem