Florence Competition Autumn School

The Autumn School caters to mid-career professionals seeking to deepen their expertise and practical skills in the dynamic fields of competition law and economics. Participants will have the unique opportunity to tap into the vast knowledge and academic excellence of distinguished instructors, empowering them to stay at the forefront of their respective industries. The course is particularly beneficial for:

• Officials from National Competition Authorities, government agencies, and regulatory bodies.

• Associates and partners in law firms specializing in competition law.

• In-house counsels managing competition compliance matters.

• Economic consultants specializing in industrial economics.

• Competition scholars, including doctoral researchers, post-docs, and professors.

• Advocacy officers focused on competition policy and regulatory affairs.

• Specialised journalists reporting for legal information providers.

For professionals seeking to expand their international network of connections within the competitive policy landscape, the ‘residential track’ of the Autumn School provides an ideal setting amidst the captivating beauty of Florence.

• Enhance your comprehension of the framework and essence of EU competition regulations.

• Refine your analytical skills to effectively navigate competition law cases and overcome workplace challenges.

• Foster a comprehensive and interdisciplinary understanding of competitive dynamics and pertinent issues, enriching your contributions to your organization.

• Stay abreast of the most recent enforcement cases, regulatory advancements, and legislative updates.

• Exchange insights and expertise with fellow participants from diverse sectors and industries.

• Expand your professional network with like-minded individuals who share similar interests and possess complementary expertise.

The Florence Competition Autumn School covers both substantive and procedural aspects of competition law and economics with both frontal lectures and practical group exercises. In particular, the School includes frontal lectures and group exercises. Every class lasts 75 minutes: 60 minutes of presentation by the speaker + 15 minutes of Q&A session, in order to incentivize the interaction between the instructor and the participants. During the group exercises, participants will face mock dawn-raids, leniency applications and trials before the EU General Court.

Certificates

At the end of the course, participants who have regularly attended the Autumn School classes will receive a ‘Certificate of Participation’.

The certificates are granted by the European University Institute, a leading post-graduate research centre founded in 1972 by the Member States of the European Union.

Attendance in the Autumn Conference is not compulsory to obtain the Certificate of Participation.

Continuing Professional Development

The course’s final certificate is eligible to provide training credits for lawyers from Germany, Austria, France, Belgium and Ireland.
In addition, the course is currently under review to award training credits for lawyers in Italy.

Other countries

If you need assistance in liaising with your bar association for accreditation, please contact Anna Ferrari at anna.ferrari@eui.eu and she will assist with the process.

• Regular fee: 1500 €
• National Regulatory Authorities, National Competition Authorities, Full-time academics, as well as partners and donors of the Centre for a Digital Society: 1200 €
• Post-graduate students: 1000 €

If you are an EUI student or EUI researcher, please contact the course facilitator, Anna Ferrari 

We encourage prospective participants to register as early as possible to start planning their travel to Florence well in advance.

Cancellation policy

Please note that the course fees will not be reimbursed in case of cancellation after the course start.

Widening Countries Programme Scholarships – up to 10 scholarships

Thanks to the support of the European University Institute Widening Europe programme , ten (10) scholarships are available for applicants from the targeted Widening Countries.

The EUI Widening Europe Programme, backed by contributions from the European Union and EUI Contracting States, is designed to strengthen internationalisation, competitiveness, and quality in research in the so-called Widening countries, and thus fostering a more cohesive European Higher Education Area and Research areas.

The 1,000 euros scholarship aims at covering travel expenses and accommodation in Florence for 5 nights. In addition, lunches, and coffee breaks on lecture days, and two cocktails, will be offered by the Programme.

Eligibility criteria

The scholarships are reserved for officials from National Competition Authorities, Regulatory Authorities, Ministries and public institutions of the countries targeted by the programme, namely:

• Inside the European Union: Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
• Outside the European Union: Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Kosovo(1), Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Moldova, and Ukraine.

(1) This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 (1999) and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.

Application Process

Eligible candidates must submit a CV and a brief motivation statement through this link by no later than 22 September 2024.

Applications will be evaluated on a rolling basis until the availability of scholarships is exhausted (up to 10 scholarships).

In the allocation process of the scholarships, the scientific organisers will consider gender equality and geographic diversity. Applicants will be informed on the status of their application by 24 September 2024.

To secure the scholarship, selected applicants must complete the registration process and the payment of the reduced fee for public officials (1,200 euros).

Scholarships funds will be transferred upon successful completion and attendance to the course.

Candidates who are not awarded a scholarship may still enroll in the School at a discounted fee (1,200 euro) by 30 September 2024.

For more detailed information, you may check the programme of the previous editions of the Autumn School.