1
Table of Contents
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS LAW.....................................................................................................4
1 INTRODUCTION: IMF, OECD, WTO................................................................................................4
1.1 What is IBL..........................................................................................................................................................................4
1.2 International Trade Organisations...................................................................................................................................5
1.2.1 WTO..................................................................................................................................................................................5
1.2.2 IMF.....................................................................................................................................................................................8
1.2.3 OECD................................................................................................................................................................................9
2 JURISDICTION, APPLICABLE LAW AND CIGS..............................................................................10
2.1 Jurisdiction.........................................................................................................................................................................10
2.1.1 Case of litigation............................................................................................................................................................11
2.2 Applicable law...................................................................................................................................................................16
2.3 Uncitral - CISG.................................................................................................................................................................19
3 EUROPEAN BUSINESS LAW.............................................................................................................23
3.1 Introduction.......................................................................................................................................................................23
3.2 The institutions..................................................................................................................................................................24
3.2.1 The European Parliament............................................................................................................................................24
3.2.2 The European Council Union.....................................................................................................................................25
3.2.3 The European Court of justice....................................................................................................................................26
3.3 The treaties.........................................................................................................................................................................26
3.3.1 Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community...............................................................................26
3.3.2 Treaties of Rome : EEC and EURATOM treaties..................................................................................................27
3.3.3 Merger Treaty - Brussels Treaty..................................................................................................................................27
, 2
3.3.4 Single European Act Treaty on European Union....................................................................................................27
3.3.5 Maastricht Treaty...........................................................................................................................................................28
3.3.6 Treaty of Amsterdam....................................................................................................................................................30
3.3.7 Treaty of Nice.................................................................................................................................................................30
3.3.8 Treaty of Lisbon.............................................................................................................................................................31
3.4 Secondary Law...................................................................................................................................................................32
3.4.1 Regulations (verordeningen/regelgeving)..................................................................................................................32
3.4.2 Directives (richtlijnen)...................................................................................................................................................32
3.4.3 Decisions (beslissing/beschikking).............................................................................................................................33
3.4.4 Recommedations and opinions...................................................................................................................................33
3.5 Preliminary Rulings under art. 267 TFEU....................................................................................................................33
4 EUROPEAN BUSINESS LAW – FREE MOVEMENT IN EUROPEAN LAW................................34
4.1 Introduction.......................................................................................................................................................................34
4.2 Quantative restrictions.....................................................................................................................................................34
4.3 Equivalent effect...............................................................................................................................................................35
4.4 Art. 36 TFEU....................................................................................................................................................................35
4.4.1 Case law on restrictions................................................................................................................................................35
4.5 Free movement of workers.............................................................................................................................................36
4.5.1 Introduction....................................................................................................................................................................36
4.5.2 Definition of worker.....................................................................................................................................................37
4.5.3 The migration of a worker...........................................................................................................................................37
4.6 Freedom of schengen.......................................................................................................................................................38
4.6.1 Schengen.........................................................................................................................................................................38
4.7 Freedom to provide services...........................................................................................................................................38
4.7.1 Services............................................................................................................................................................................38
4.8 Freedom of capital............................................................................................................................................................39
, 3
4.9 Proportionality test...........................................................................................................................................................40
5 EU COMPETITION LAW...................................................................................................................40
5.1 Introduction – What is competition law?.....................................................................................................................40
5.2 The cartel law of art. 101 TFEU....................................................................................................................................41
5.2.1 Article 101 TFEU..........................................................................................................................................................41
5.2.2 How to evaluate art. 101 TFEU..................................................................................................................................42
5.2.3 The concept of an “undertaking”...............................................................................................................................42
5.2.4 The concept of an agreement”....................................................................................................................................44
5.2.5 ‘May affect trade between MS’.....................................................................................................................................45
5.2.6 ‘Object or effect’............................................................................................................................................................47
5.3 Art. 102 TFEU: Abuse of dominant position..............................................................................................................48
5.3.1 Article 102 TFEU..........................................................................................................................................................48
5.3.2 The concept of market power.....................................................................................................................................49
5.3.3 Concept of ‘dominant position’ developed by case law.........................................................................................49
5.3.4 The relevant market.......................................................................................................................................................49
5.3.5 Abuse of dominant position........................................................................................................................................51
5.3.6 Art 102 TFEU – Defences...........................................................................................................................................51
5.3.7 Sanction art 102TFEU..................................................................................................................................................51
, 4
International Business Law
50%: oral examination, 15 min voorbereiding op het examen
30%: 2 individual papers
20%: presentation in class
1 Introduction: IMF, OECD, WTO
1.1 What is IBL
• International law is agreed by two or more states and is applicable (toepas-
selijk) to those states and their subjects.
• Broad range of domains, including war, diplomacy, trade, and human rights. In-
ternational law aims at the practice of stable, consistent, and organized interna-
tional relations.
• Divided in:
• International Public law:
• Set up of international institutions
• Human rights
• Extradition (uitlevering)
• International law differs(verschilt) from state-based legal systems
in that it is primarily—though not exclusively—applicable to coun-
tries, rather than to individuals, and operates largely through
consent(instemming), since there is no universally accepted au-
thority to enforce it upon sovereign states. Consequently, states
may choose to not abide(zich houden aan) by international
law, and even to break a treaty. However, such violations, par-
ticularly of customary international law and peremptory(dwin-
gende) norms (jus cogens), can be met with coercive(dwang) ac-
tion, ranging from military intervention to diplomatic and eco-
nomic pressure.
• International Private law
• Here the aim (het doel) is to solve problems in international
legal relationships which arise from different legal systems.
For example: A German man marries a French woman while living
both in Brussels. The German man works for BP and has a second
address in London, where he also pays his taxes. The French
woman has two children from a previous relationship with a Cana-
dian man. Both were born while she was living in Cape town.
• Which country has jurisdiction in case of litigation (geschil/proces)
on each international legal status?
• Which law will be applied to each international situation?
• What are the solutions to legal problems arising out of an interna-
tional legal relationship.
Table of Contents
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS LAW.....................................................................................................4
1 INTRODUCTION: IMF, OECD, WTO................................................................................................4
1.1 What is IBL..........................................................................................................................................................................4
1.2 International Trade Organisations...................................................................................................................................5
1.2.1 WTO..................................................................................................................................................................................5
1.2.2 IMF.....................................................................................................................................................................................8
1.2.3 OECD................................................................................................................................................................................9
2 JURISDICTION, APPLICABLE LAW AND CIGS..............................................................................10
2.1 Jurisdiction.........................................................................................................................................................................10
2.1.1 Case of litigation............................................................................................................................................................11
2.2 Applicable law...................................................................................................................................................................16
2.3 Uncitral - CISG.................................................................................................................................................................19
3 EUROPEAN BUSINESS LAW.............................................................................................................23
3.1 Introduction.......................................................................................................................................................................23
3.2 The institutions..................................................................................................................................................................24
3.2.1 The European Parliament............................................................................................................................................24
3.2.2 The European Council Union.....................................................................................................................................25
3.2.3 The European Court of justice....................................................................................................................................26
3.3 The treaties.........................................................................................................................................................................26
3.3.1 Treaty establishing the European Coal and Steel Community...............................................................................26
3.3.2 Treaties of Rome : EEC and EURATOM treaties..................................................................................................27
3.3.3 Merger Treaty - Brussels Treaty..................................................................................................................................27
, 2
3.3.4 Single European Act Treaty on European Union....................................................................................................27
3.3.5 Maastricht Treaty...........................................................................................................................................................28
3.3.6 Treaty of Amsterdam....................................................................................................................................................30
3.3.7 Treaty of Nice.................................................................................................................................................................30
3.3.8 Treaty of Lisbon.............................................................................................................................................................31
3.4 Secondary Law...................................................................................................................................................................32
3.4.1 Regulations (verordeningen/regelgeving)..................................................................................................................32
3.4.2 Directives (richtlijnen)...................................................................................................................................................32
3.4.3 Decisions (beslissing/beschikking).............................................................................................................................33
3.4.4 Recommedations and opinions...................................................................................................................................33
3.5 Preliminary Rulings under art. 267 TFEU....................................................................................................................33
4 EUROPEAN BUSINESS LAW – FREE MOVEMENT IN EUROPEAN LAW................................34
4.1 Introduction.......................................................................................................................................................................34
4.2 Quantative restrictions.....................................................................................................................................................34
4.3 Equivalent effect...............................................................................................................................................................35
4.4 Art. 36 TFEU....................................................................................................................................................................35
4.4.1 Case law on restrictions................................................................................................................................................35
4.5 Free movement of workers.............................................................................................................................................36
4.5.1 Introduction....................................................................................................................................................................36
4.5.2 Definition of worker.....................................................................................................................................................37
4.5.3 The migration of a worker...........................................................................................................................................37
4.6 Freedom of schengen.......................................................................................................................................................38
4.6.1 Schengen.........................................................................................................................................................................38
4.7 Freedom to provide services...........................................................................................................................................38
4.7.1 Services............................................................................................................................................................................38
4.8 Freedom of capital............................................................................................................................................................39
, 3
4.9 Proportionality test...........................................................................................................................................................40
5 EU COMPETITION LAW...................................................................................................................40
5.1 Introduction – What is competition law?.....................................................................................................................40
5.2 The cartel law of art. 101 TFEU....................................................................................................................................41
5.2.1 Article 101 TFEU..........................................................................................................................................................41
5.2.2 How to evaluate art. 101 TFEU..................................................................................................................................42
5.2.3 The concept of an “undertaking”...............................................................................................................................42
5.2.4 The concept of an agreement”....................................................................................................................................44
5.2.5 ‘May affect trade between MS’.....................................................................................................................................45
5.2.6 ‘Object or effect’............................................................................................................................................................47
5.3 Art. 102 TFEU: Abuse of dominant position..............................................................................................................48
5.3.1 Article 102 TFEU..........................................................................................................................................................48
5.3.2 The concept of market power.....................................................................................................................................49
5.3.3 Concept of ‘dominant position’ developed by case law.........................................................................................49
5.3.4 The relevant market.......................................................................................................................................................49
5.3.5 Abuse of dominant position........................................................................................................................................51
5.3.6 Art 102 TFEU – Defences...........................................................................................................................................51
5.3.7 Sanction art 102TFEU..................................................................................................................................................51
, 4
International Business Law
50%: oral examination, 15 min voorbereiding op het examen
30%: 2 individual papers
20%: presentation in class
1 Introduction: IMF, OECD, WTO
1.1 What is IBL
• International law is agreed by two or more states and is applicable (toepas-
selijk) to those states and their subjects.
• Broad range of domains, including war, diplomacy, trade, and human rights. In-
ternational law aims at the practice of stable, consistent, and organized interna-
tional relations.
• Divided in:
• International Public law:
• Set up of international institutions
• Human rights
• Extradition (uitlevering)
• International law differs(verschilt) from state-based legal systems
in that it is primarily—though not exclusively—applicable to coun-
tries, rather than to individuals, and operates largely through
consent(instemming), since there is no universally accepted au-
thority to enforce it upon sovereign states. Consequently, states
may choose to not abide(zich houden aan) by international
law, and even to break a treaty. However, such violations, par-
ticularly of customary international law and peremptory(dwin-
gende) norms (jus cogens), can be met with coercive(dwang) ac-
tion, ranging from military intervention to diplomatic and eco-
nomic pressure.
• International Private law
• Here the aim (het doel) is to solve problems in international
legal relationships which arise from different legal systems.
For example: A German man marries a French woman while living
both in Brussels. The German man works for BP and has a second
address in London, where he also pays his taxes. The French
woman has two children from a previous relationship with a Cana-
dian man. Both were born while she was living in Cape town.
• Which country has jurisdiction in case of litigation (geschil/proces)
on each international legal status?
• Which law will be applied to each international situation?
• What are the solutions to legal problems arising out of an interna-
tional legal relationship.
