The Antitrust Hotch-Potch
Professor Damien Geradin and Nicolas Petit are the authors of The Antitrust Hotch-Potch, a blog commenting on EC competition law and policy.Brussels Legal spoke with Professor Geradin about the blog. We started by discussing the motivation for creating The Antitrust Hotch-Potch.
BL: Why start an EC competition law blog?
DG: I first discovered the blog phenomenon when I was teaching in the US. I saw how easy a blog is to manage - its in-built tools make it user-friendly, taking only a few minutes to update.
For an academic a blog is a great tool for disseminating ideas and papers. Several hundred to a few thousand readers can access recent work very quickly.
BL: What has your experience been of using this communication tool? In particular, how have you found its two-way interactive nature?
DG: The blog is a great communication tool. I enjoy blogging: it does not cost a lot to set up and maintain in terms of money or time.
I like the fact the blog focuses readers' attention more on the subject and less on the author. I notice people really do pay more attention to the subject itself than with other forms of communication.
The interactive nature of the blog is interesting. On the surface, not so many readers comment on our blog entries - many do not yet feel comfortable making public statements.
But through the blog, a lot of readers from around the world email us. At the moment, more readers prefer a direct but private email dialogue with us. As readers become more familiar with blogs in general, there will probably be a more open discussion within the blog.
The interactive element actually takes many forms. Some readers contact us by email, others have met us face-to-face. For example, when attending conferences, US readers - previously unknown to us - have come up and identified themselves as Antitrust Hotch-Potch readers.
BL: Blogging a subject like antitrust is novel, certainly in Europe. Are there certain guidelines you try to follow when drafting your blogs?
DG: If you look on the web, there are many blogs covering many different subjects. Some bloggers are opinionated and that discourages a lot of readers. If a blogger's comments or tone are too strong, often the reader believes the subject-matter itself is tainted.
We take a more neutral approach, trying to be as objective as possible.
BL: Do you think your blog has any impact on decision-making in EC competition law?
DG: It is always difficult to measure the direct impact of something like a blog. But we do know from feedback that many Commission officials follow our blog.
If a blog is informed, then it can persuade. So a blog can have an impact in that it can influence a decision.
We endeavour to make sure our blog offers academic insight. Even if we have a strong opinion about a particular subject, we want the comment and analysis to be balanced.
BL: You and Nicolas Petit are the joint authors of The Antitrust Hotch-Potch. Do you ever disagree about what is said in the blog? As articles are not signed, it is not clear who writes which articles.
DG: We take our decisions by consensus. Although in academic life I am Nicolas' boss ! !
True, you cannot tell which of us has written which article. But there is a 12 year age difference between us, so some readers have picked up on who is writing which article based on differences in writing style.
BL: As well as being an academic, you work for a law firm. So far have you managed to avoid a conflict of interest between your roles as blogger and lawyer?
GD: Yes. If a conflict has arisen, then the blog does not comment on that particular matter.
BL: Looking to the future, how do you see The Antitrust Hotch-Potch developing?
GD: I think we will get an increasing amount of readers. Now, we are up to 750 visits a week, up from 500 visits only a couple of months ago. I also think that more readers will comment on our posts. Of course, we are looking for constructive comments providing real insights on the topics we are blogging on.
BL: Finally, what does the name 'The Antitrust Hotch-Potch' signify?
GD: Well, antitrust has become a big mix, a mix of law and economics, lobbying and politics. So, it's like a stew. Lots of different ingredients in the pot.
BL: Thank you for your time.
Author: Brussels Legal ©
Published: 9 February
Location: Brussels Legal/Archive/Competition Law: Articles
