On 20 June 2024, the third competition law scientific works competition organised by PricewaterhouseCoopers Legal SIA (PwC Legal), the Competition Council (CC) and Riga Graduate School of Law (RGSL) concluded with presentations of research papers. The winner of the competition was Alma Vilma Gūtmane, who received the main prize of € 1 500, while the internship place in CC went to Beāte Kržanoviča.
This year, five entries were submitted for the competition. Also this year, similarly to last year, all authors were invited to present their scientific works to the evaluation committee. Young lawyers and the most ambitious competition law students prepared scientific works for the competition on topics such as the effectiveness of leniency program, characteristics of cartel in procurement, the interaction between the securing of evidence and the presumption of harm in actions for damages in hybrid cases, the scope of the concept of undertaking and market player in competition law and the competition aspect in the regulation of the EU’s artificial intelligence.
After evaluating all the submitted works and presentations, the jury unanimously agreed to award first place and the main prize to Alma Vilma Gūtmane, a student at the University of Latvia. The topic chosen by the student was the interaction between the securing of evidence and the presumption of harm in actions for damages in hybrid cases. In her work, the author analysed the practical relevance of the presumption in the actions for damages and hybrid cases, as well as possible solutions to the asymmetry of evidence in actions for damages in hybrid cases. The winner of the competition was congratulated with a cash prize of EUR 1 500 awarded by PwC Legal and a pass to RGSL Summer School.
The CC internship and the opportunity to participate in the RGSC Summer School went to Beāte Kržanoviča, whose chosen topic covered the scope of the concept of the company and market participant in competition law. Other participants received incentive prizes for their participation in the competition, as well as the opportunity to take part in the RGSC Summer School.
Aleksandrs Potaičuks, Doctor of Law, Assistant Professor, RGSC: “Research allows students to rise above the standard of knowledge that is compulsory at any university; it serves as a driving force for the development of society; and it prepares students for their chosen career path. In this respect, competition law has a special role to play in the development of society and the full functioning of the market.”
Inese Druviete, representative of the competition evaluation commission, CC Council Member, praised the students’ interest in the field of competition and their willingness to promote scientific discourse in this area, in particular by providing their own assessment of the work of the CC. Whereas, Deniss Ščeulovs, CC Council Member, drawing attention to the academic improvement of the submitted works, invited the students to not only focus on the aspects of competition law but also look at the researched issues from the economic science perspective.
Dita Dzērviniece, Head of PwC Legal EU and Competition Practice Group: “This year’s entries demonstrated students’ ability to not only identify and understand the complex aspects of competition law but also offer practical solutions to real-world challenges. It was a true pleasure to observe the high level of preparedness of the students, and I would like to commend their ability to engage in active discussions on the practical implementation of the proposed solutions and future challenges.”
The aim of the scientific works competition is to develop the understanding of competition law in Latvia among students and young lawyers; therefore, the organisers of the event invited students to submit their scientific works with a reasoned opinion on the application of competition law based on legal considerations. The entries prepared and submitted by the contestants were assessed on a number of aspects, including reasoning skills, economic considerations and novelty.