19/05/2025
The 2025 exam submitted to the students at the Brussels School of Competition presents an excellent opportunity to that effect.
A young in-house lawyer solicits your help to correct a PowerPoint presentation that he wishes to deliver to his business colleagues. The presentation marks the start of an important process at the company, Pots & Pans SA, to revamp or possibly even radically change the distribution format used to bring the pots and pans to the market in a wide range of countries.
Unfortunately, the presentation contains 20 mistakes. Each of the mistakes is numbered in the presentation. If you wish to test your knowledge on the Vertical Block Exemption Regulation, send a brief note to info@faros.eu. In the note you should explain for each change that you decide to make in just a couple of lines (i) the article of the VBER or the paragraph of the Vertical Guidelines on which the change is based and (ii) the reason for the change. No lengthy explanations are needed. Telegram style is appropriate.
In return for your effort, you will be receiving a model answer that enables you to measure your performance. From the 10 top answers a winner will be drawn who will receive a free copy of the latest edition (published just a couple of weeks ago by Oxford University Press) of “Vertical Agreements in EU Competition Law”. Everyone who participates will get a code for a 30% discount on the price of the book. What a deal?!
PS: The actual Brussels School of Competition exam was somewhat more difficult than what you find here. The mistakes were not identified in the exam so that the students had to identify the incorrect assertions first and then provide their input with reference to the VBER and the Vertical Guidelines.
Good luck!