The enforcement of EU Competition Law in the pharmaceutical sector: before, during, and after a health crisis (learning from the COVID-19 Pandemic)

COMPHACRISIS will be carried out in line with the Pharmaceutical Strategy for Europe, under the supervision of Professor Imelda Maher at University College Dublin (UCD). The main question of the research is: what are the significant differences between normal, crisis and post-crisis EU competition law and policy in the pharmaceutical sector? Analysing the normal enforcement of competition law, evaluating the crisis enforcement of competition law, exploring the significant consequences of the crisis policies in the post-pandemic law and designing an Effective Health Crisis Competition Law Framework are specific objectives of COMPAHCRISIS. The European Union competition law enforcement and three member states (Germany, Italy, and Ireland) will be reviewed in COMPHACRISIS. To conduct the project, both the semi-structured interview method and doctrinal method will be used. COMPHACRISIS leads to significant improvement of my scientific profile, better networking with the research and industrial community through interviews, workshops, seminars and conferences, and helps me gain different skills such as project management skills, qualitative and quantitative skills, mentoring, grant writing, interview and analytical skills. I will also take some courses in Econometrics methods and Health Policy. I will be able to submit papers in English to leading international competition law journals and learn new research methods and teaching skills from my supervisor. The results of COMPHACRISIS will be published in prestigious journals, and I will present my research at well-known and international conferences. We will also organise two specialised workshops in UCD. Using social media and social networking tools to present the work is among the COMPHACRISIS communication activities. COMPHACRISIS will lead to a new approach in understanding the importance of competition law in the pharmaceutical sector during and after a crisis, and influence European policy-makers and legislators.