On the 24th - 25th of May 2024 the Competition Law Research Centre at Pázmány Péter Catholic University (Budapest) organized an event on European Union law, sports and competition law. This prestigious event brought together leading experts to discuss critical issues in competition law and its intersection with sports. The insightful presentations from distinguished judges and academics provided a comprehensive overview of recent case law and the expanding competencies of the EU Courts. The panels on state aid cases, the organization of professional sport events, and regulated competition in digital markets were particularly enlightening.

A highlight of the conference was the interactive discussions and the opportunity to network with peers and industry leaders. The event's organization was impeccable, and the social activities, including the badminton competition, fostered camaraderie and a spirit of collaboration. Special thanks to the sponsors (Dentons (Golden Sponsor) and Backer&McKenzie (Silver Sponsor) and organizers for creating a platform that not only advanced our understanding of EU competition law but also celebrated the community's shared passion for sports. This conference was a testament to the importance of interdisciplinary dialogue in shaping the future of competition law in Europe.

Badminton competition

Venue: Hodos Tamás Tollaslabda Csarnok, Budapest, Váci út 102.

The event is supported by Unilever Hungária Kft., and opened by Péter Kapitány, president of the Hungarian Badminton Association

This is both a social and sportive event, no professional sport skills are necessary, as badminton is a sport almost everyone can play at some level. Participants will be provided with refreshments and a light lunch.

The event will be organized and assisted by a professional club in the badminton hall of Budapest.

Participants will be grouped into three categories: beginners (players “for fun”, those who have not played badminton professionally), hobby players (who already know the rules, and play badminton in a hall from time to time), professional players (former or current members of a badminton club, with an experience of participation in badminton tournaments). Players can play both singles and doubles. We will not have a separate competition for men and women, unless we receive a sufficient number of applications for the professional category.

Following a team-building warm-up, the rules will be explained. Some rockets will be provided by the hall. Matches will be played with plastic shuttles, unless players agree otherwise and provide feather shuttles.

Participants of the conference who paid the conference fee, as well as representatives of the sponsors are welcome to participate in this social event without an additional fee.

Others may participate subject to a fee of 10.000 HUF (25 EUR). Please submit your request to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. detailing whether you wish to play singles, doubles, or both and in which category (beginner, hobby, professional), no later than 15 May 2024.

Main findings of the court:

• In competition cases, a fine may be imposed for exceeding the time limit.
• Even if the time limit is exceeded for a short period of time, the applicants may still have the opportunity to prove additional harm, which must be assessed in the context of the amount of the fine.
• In order to establish the existence of a restriction by object, the sufficient degree of harm required by the case-law requires the existence of a sufficiently firm and reliable finding that the agreement of the type in question is, by its very nature, harmful to the proper functioning of competition. This does not require a detailed market impact assessment, but it does require an assessment of the content of the agreement, its objectives and its economic and legal background, in order to determine whether it can be considered to be of such a nature as to show a sufficient degree of harm to competition."