Consumer Autonomy and Vertical Agreements

An Additional Pathway to Understanding EU Competition Law on Vertical Agreements, in Particular Online Sales Restrictions

by Johannes Persch

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Extent: 311 pages

Publisher: Mohr Siebeck

Subjects: Business & Economics, Law, Social Sciences 

Series: Beiträge zum Kartellrecht

Language: English

Paperback (Published)

(December 2025)

ISBN: 9783161646430

6.06 x 9.09 inches

Price: $105.00

On back order

Johannes Persch explores how EU competition law treats online sales restrictions in vertical agreements, assessing their legal and economic impact while examining whether consumer autonomy offers a meaningful framework for understanding and evaluating such practices.


English summary: Johannes Persch examines vertical agreements restricting online sales under EU competition law. He analyses practices like total online bans, platform bans and other restrictions on online sales, their legal classification and economic evaluation and discusses whether consumer autonomy may be an additional pathway to understanding the treatment of such agreements under EU competition law. In this regard, he examines whether consumer autonomy can be a valid normative concern under EU competition law and how consumer autonomy, as a goal of competition law, can be operationalized in the context of vertical agreements. German description: Johannes Persch untersucht, wie das EU-Wettbewerbsrecht Einschrankungen des Online-Vertriebs in vertikalen Vereinbarungen behandelt. Dabei analysiert er deren rechtliche und wirtschaftliche Auswirkungen und geht der Frage nach, ob das Konzept der Verbraucherautonomie einen sinnvollen Rahmen fur das Verstandnis und die Bewertung solcher Praktiken bietet.

Introduction 1 Research questions 2 Outline 3 Terminology 4 Basics of behavioural economics Chapter 1: Treatment of vertical agreements under EU competition law and economic evaluation 1 Current assessment of vertical agreements under EU competition law 2 Economic evaluation of the EU's current rules on vertical agreements, particularly on online distribution 3 A comparative perspective: vertical agreements under US law 4 Conclusion Chapter 2: A different explanation for the EU's stance on vertical agreements: consumer autonomy? 1 Consumer autonomy as an argumentative force behind the EU's approach to vertical agreements 2 Consumer autonomy as a goal of EU competition law 3 Conclusion Chapter 3: Making autonomy workable in the context of vertical agreements 1 How can vertical agreements influence consumer decisions? 2 When do vertical agreements restrict competition based on consumer autonomy? 3 Implications for EU competition law 4 Conclusion Summary ~GER~Introduction 1 Research questions 2 Outline 3 Terminology 4 Basics of behavioural economics Chapter 1: Treatment of vertical agreements under EU competition law and economic evaluation 1 Current assessment of vertical agreements under EU competition law 2 Economic evaluation of the EU's current rules on vertical agreements, particularly on online distribution 3 A comparative perspective: vertical agreements under US law 4 Conclusion Chapter 2: A different explanation for the EU's stance on vertical agreements: consumer autonomy? 1 Consumer autonomy as an argumentative force behind the EU's approach to vertical agreements 2 Consumer autonomy as a goal of EU competition law 3 Conclusion Chapter 3: Making autonomy workable in the context of vertical agreements 1 How can vertical agreements influence consumer decisions? 2 When do vertical agreements restrict competition based on consumer autonomy? 3 Implications for EU competition law 4 Conclusion Summary "

  • By (author) Johannes Persch