Helene Andersson - Böcker

Dear reader, In the past few years we have observed an interesting mutual interest of two fields of research and development in each other. Life sciences area researchers discovered the opportunities offered my micro- and nanotechnology, while people from the microfluidics and BIOMEMS area discovered the application potential of these technologies in cell biology. Unfortunately, these two research communities share little in common: they read and publish in different scientific journals, have incompatible jargons, attend separate conferences, and have a different scientific approach and culture. This is most strikingly illustrated when you give a MEMS researcher some cells to experiment with, or hand over a couple of chips to a cell biologist. Or imagine explaining a microengineer different intracellular apoptotic pathway or a cell biologist about tensile stress in underetched LPCVD membranes. And yet, there is an enormous potential of combining the expertises available in these two fields. It is our goal to illustrate this potential with this book focusing on microfluidics technologies for “cellomics”, research on or with cells. In our view, the field is still too immature to compile a textbook for students, and this volume is rather meant to be a collection of first class papers of leaders in this emerging field. This volume will enable researchers from both communities to get a rapid “state of the art” overview, and also to get an impression what kind of possibilities this area offers. Micro- and nanotechnologists will get inspiration about applications, life science researchers about technological capabilities.

Dear reader, In the past few years we have observed an interesting mutual interest of two fields of research and development in each other. Life sciences area researchers discovered the opportunities offered my micro- and nanotechnology, while people from the microfluidics and BIOMEMS area discovered the application potential of these technologies in cell biology. Unfortunately, these two research communities share little in common: they read and publish in different scientific journals, have incompatible jargons, attend separate conferences, and have a different scientific approach and culture. This is most strikingly illustrated when you give a MEMS researcher some cells to experiment with, or hand over a couple of chips to a cell biologist. Or imagine explaining a microengineer different intracellular apoptotic pathway or a cell biologist about tensile stress in underetched LPCVD membranes. And yet, there is an enormous potential of combining the expertises available in these two fields. It is our goal to illustrate this potential with this book focusing on microfluidics technologies for “cellomics”, research on or with cells. In our view, the field is still too immature to compile a textbook for students, and this volume is rather meant to be a collection of first class papers of leaders in this emerging field. This volume will enable researchers from both communities to get a rapid “state of the art” overview, and also to get an impression what kind of possibilities this area offers. Micro- and nanotechnologists will get inspiration about applications, life science researchers about technological capabilities.

This book examines the legislative patchwork surrounding access to the European Commission’s cartel case files.Recent legislative changes have increased the value of the files and have also highlighted the inherent tension between a number of competing interests affecting their accessibility. The Commission is undoubtedly caught between a rock and a hard place, charged with the task to ensure due process, transparency and effectiveness while at the same time promoting both public and private enforcement of the EU competition rules. The author considers how best to ensure a proper balance between the legitimate, but often diverging interests of parties, third parties and national competition authorities in these cases. The book provides a unique and comprehensive presentation of the EU legislation and case law surrounding access to the Commission’s cartel case files. The author examines the question of accessibility from three different perspectives: that of the parties under investigation, cartel victims, and national competition authorities. The author also considers the EU leniency system and whether any legislative changes could make the attractiveness of the system less dependent on the possibilities of cartel victims to access the evidence contained in the Commission’s case files.

This book examines the legislative patchwork surrounding access to the European Commission’s cartel case files.Recent legislative changes have increased the value of the files and have also highlighted the inherent tension between a number of competing interests affecting their accessibility. The Commission is undoubtedly caught between a rock and a hard place, charged with the task to ensure due process, transparency and effectiveness while at the same time promoting both public and private enforcement of the EU competition rules. The author considers how best to ensure a proper balance between the legitimate, but often diverging interests of parties, third parties and national competition authorities in these cases. The book provides a unique and comprehensive presentation of the EU legislation and case law surrounding access to the Commission’s cartel case files. The author examines the question of accessibility from three different perspectives: that of the parties under investigation, cartel victims, and national competition authorities. The author also considers the EU leniency system and whether any legislative changes could make the attractiveness of the system less dependent on the possibilities of cartel victims to access the evidence contained in the Commission’s case files.

The 2nd edition of this book provides an updated comprehensive analysis of the European Commission’s dawn raid practices from a due process perspective. Examining the obligations imposed by the Charter and the ECHR and the response of the Luxembourg and Strasbourg Courts, the book shows that whereas the Strasbourg Court manages to strike a balance between efficiency concerns and fundamental rights, the approach of the EU Courts is not equally balanced. The dawn raid is a powerful tool on which the European Commission relies heavily in its antitrust investigations. In 2022, the Commission carried out dawn raids in private homes for the first time in many years and it has declared its intent to make greater use of the power to inspect private premises. Furthermore, the European Commission is expanding its dawn raid practices into new areas of law. Both the Digital Markets Act and the Foreign Subsidies Regulation empower the Commission to carry out dawn raids and to impose heavy fines on anyone failing to cooperate. Ensuring adequate procedural safeguards is therefore more important than ever.The book provides an essential and timely examination of this important subject, and is of great practical interest to companies, practitioners, and enforcers. It is also of theoretical interest, offering stimulating reflections on the effectiveness and legitimacy of the Commission’s enforcement powers.

The 2nd edition of this book provides an updated comprehensive analysis of the European Commission’s dawn raid practices from a due process perspective. Examining the obligations imposed by the Charter and the ECHR and the response of the Luxembourg and Strasbourg Courts, the book shows that whereas the Strasbourg Court manages to strike a balance between efficiency concerns and fundamental rights, the approach of the EU Courts is not equally balanced. The dawn raid is a powerful tool on which the European Commission relies heavily in its antitrust investigations. In 2022, the Commission carried out dawn raids in private homes for the first time in many years and it has declared its intent to make greater use of the power to inspect private premises. Furthermore, the European Commission is expanding its dawn raid practices into new areas of law. Both the Digital Markets Act and the Foreign Subsidies Regulation empower the Commission to carry out dawn raids and to impose heavy fines on anyone failing to cooperate. Ensuring adequate procedural safeguards is therefore more important than ever.The book provides an essential and timely examination of this important subject, and is of great practical interest to companies, practitioners, and enforcers. It is also of theoretical interest, offering stimulating reflections on the effectiveness and legitimacy of the Commission’s enforcement powers.