TFL Vsebine / Zbornik znanstvenih razprav

Doktrina nujne zmogljivosti je institut konkurenčnega prava, po katerem mora podjetje, ki ima na zgornjem trgu (nujne zmogljivosti) prevladujoč položaj, omogočiti dostop do te zmogljivosti, ki je nepogrešljiva za delovanje na spodnjem, vertikalno povezanem, trgu, tretjim podjetjem, ki želijo na tem trgu delovati. Natančni pogoji za njeno aktivacijo so zaradi nedosledne, čeprav obsežne prakse Evropske komisije in Sodišča Evropske unije nejasni. Prispevek poskuša z analizo nekaterih najpomembnejših sodb s področja doktrine nujne zmogljivosti ugotoviti, katere pogoje morajo za to, da je doktrino mogoče uporabiti, izpolniti posamezne vrste zmogljivosti (materializirane, nematerializirane in pravice intelektualne lastnine). Prav tako pa se tudi opredeli do v literaturi pogostih očitkov, da je praksa Evropske komisije in Sodišča Evropske unije s področja doktrine nujne zmogljivosti samovoljna. Čeprav je praksa resnično nedosledna, pa ni tudi samovoljna, saj jo je treba razumeti v luči spreminjajočih ciljev, ki jih skozi čas zasledujeta konkurenčna politika in konkurenčno pravo.

Under the essential facilities doctrine companies with a dominant position on the upstream market of a facility that is an essential input for competition on the downstream market must grant access to that facility (good or service) to companies that want to compete on the downstream market. The exact conditions for the use of the essential facilities doctrine are inconsistent and unclear despite the rich case law from both the European Commission and the European Court of Justice on the topic. Through the analysis of some of the landmark cases concerning the essential facilities doctrine, the article attempts to define which condition different types of facilities (materialised, immaterialised, and intellectual property rights) must fulfil for the essential facilities doctrine to be applied. The article also addresses the critique presented by a considerable number of commentators that the case law of the European Commission and of the European Court of Justice regarding the essential facilities doctrine is arbitrary. Although the case law is indeed inconsistent it is not arbitrary as the changes regarding the goals that competition policy and competition law are pursuing through time must also be considered.