EU Directive on Private Enforcement of Competition Law Opening the door wider for civil damage actions by private plaintiffs Seminar April 28th (Tuesday) 2:00-5:30 p.m. Warsaw Sheraton Hotel How will the new private enforcement regulation strengthen the ability of private plaintiffs to bring successful civil damage actions for violations of competition laws? 1:30 p.m. 2:00 – 2:10 p.m. Registration Welcome and opening of the seminar Dr. Małgorzata Krasnodębska-Tomkiel, Dr. Marcin Radwan-Röhrenschef 2:00 – 2:30 p.m. Introduction: Uniform rules throughout the EU for the private enforcement of competition rules: current obstacles to private enforcement; the Directive’s assumptions of how to correct the process, main conclusions of those who drafted the Directive of the European Parliament and the Council Eddy De Smijter, Directorate General for Competition, European Commission 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. PANEl I: Why are consumers and businesses not pursuing claims for damages resulting from violations of the competition law (private enforcement)? What are the current regulations that govern this area? Has the possibility of filing class actions heightened an interest in pursuing private claims? Are difficulties in obtaining evidence the only obstacle? Moderator: Dr. Marcin Radwan-Röhrenschef, Radwan-Röhrenschef Legal Office Panelists: Eddy De Smijter, DG Competition, European Dr. Ewa Stefańska, Judge at Warsaw Court of Appeals; Maciej Stańczuk, Acting President, Polimex Mostostal SA DISCUSSION Commission; 3:30 - 4:00 p.m. Coffee break 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. PANEL II: Private enforcement of competition protection: Which provisions of the EU Directive will be transposed into the Polish legal system? Which of these areas may prove problematic and why? Which public administration authorities should support the Directive’s new solutions and how should they do so? From a practitioner’s perspective, how will the introduction of the Directive practically change the way civil damage actions are litigated in Poland? Moderator: Dr. Małgorzata Krasnodębska-Tomkiel, Hansberry Tomkiel Panelists: Eddy De Smijter, DG Competition, European Commission; Honorable Katarzyna Lis-Zarrias, Legal Department, Ministry of Justice; Andrzej Springer, BWHS Law Firm. DISCUSSION 5:30 p.m. Seminar wrap-up Dorothy Hansberry-Bieguńska, Hansberry Tomkiel The seminar will be conducted in Polish except for the presentations by Eddy De Smijter, DG Competition, European Commission, and the wrap-up by Ms. Hansberry-Bieguńska.