The Added Value of the ECN+ Directive: Exploring the Design of the European Legal Framework for the EU Antitrust Public Enforcement by National Competition Authorities

Naida Dzino-Jasarevic was born on 6 July 1992 in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and has lived in the Netherlands since early childhood. She studied European law and Dutch law at Maastricht University and obtained her degrees in 2016. Naida worked as junior lecturer at the department of international and European law at the Radboud University from 2017 till 2023. Her study examines the design of the European legal framework for the EU antitrust public enforcement by National Competition Authorities (NCAs). It evaluates whether the ECN+ Directive equips NCAs to act effectively, enabling them to reach the objectives of EU antitrust public enforcement, namely reating deterrence, clarifying the law and ensuring procedural fairness.

Effectiveness is evaluated across six indicators, namely: independence and resources, investigative powers, decision-making powers, sanctioning powers, leniency and cooperation. Drawing on insights from Germany and the Netherlands, the study proposes concrete improvements to strengthen the EU enforcement framework.