Judge raps EU competition law plans

Ireland’s judge at the European Court of Justice has criticised the European Commission’s plans to allow individuals to sue for breaches of competition law.

John Cooke was speaking at a conference on EU competition law at the Academy of European Law in Brussels earlier this month.

EU Competition Commissioner Neelie Kroes, who opened the conference, said: ‘‘Anyone harmed by unlawful action should not have to wait for a public body to intervene.

“They should be able to defend and assert their rights themselves.”

Kroes rejected claims that her proposed reforms would lead to a litigation culture similar to that of the US.