Can Covid-19 change the EU competition law framework in health?

Guy, Mary (2020) Can Covid-19 change the EU competition law framework in health? European Social Observatory / Observatoire Social Europeen Opinion Paper series. pp. 1-11. ISSN 1994-2893

Abstract

While the EU competition law framework does not typically recognise modifications to take account of the specificities of the healthcare sector, the wide-ranging impact of Covid-19 has necessitated the introduction of temporary frameworks relaxing the application of the antitrust and state aid rules. This OSE Opinion paper argues that, as the pandemic evolves, it may be more pragmatic to re-examine in particular how the Services of General Economic Interest exception is used in the healthcare sector, rather than relying on definitions of ’temporary’, or cycles of application and disapplication of the temporary frameworks.