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's 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's 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's 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.
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