The Role of Media Pluralism in the Enforcement of EU Competition Law

In an era of communicative abundance, consumers can access content anytime, anywhere and on any digital device. Safeguarding media pluralism has never before been as essential to our democracies as it is today. What role, if any, should EU competition law then play in protecting it ? In delving into this question, Konstantina Bania conducts an in-depth analysis of the economics of the sector as well as the Commission’s decision-making practice regarding mergers, abuses of dominance as well as anti-competitive agreements. Combining unique theoretical and practical insights, this book showcases novel tools for competition law enforcement to protect quality dimensions of competition and consumer welfare in media markets where consumers increasingly pay with their attention or data rather than money. This book is a must-read study for all scholars, competition authorities and policymakers interested in the question of how competition law can apply in such a manner that antitrust and merger assessments do not disregard non-price concerns such as privacy or diversity. This thesis received the Concurrences PhD Award. The jury was composed of Professors Laurence Idot (University Paris II Panthéon-Assas), Ioannis Lianos (University College London), Francesco Martucci (University Paris II Panthéon-Assas) and Etienne Pfister (French Competition Authority).