Kati Cseres is Professor of European Competition Law and Consumer Protection at the Amsterdam Centre for European Law and Governance (ACELG) and Head of the EU Law Section at the Department of International and European Law at the University of Amsterdam.  She is Theme leader ‘The Future of European Democracy’  of the Amsterdam Centre for European Studies (ACES). Kati is Editor of the Journal Legal Issues of Economic Integration. 

Since 2024, she is  Co-Director of The Good Lobby Profs inititiave, which monitors the respect of the rule of law by holding the EU and national institutions and leaders accountable. Since 2026, she has been a member of the European Advisory Council of Open Markets Institute. Kati has been Non-governmental Adviser to the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM) between 2014 and 2020. She is a Board Member of the Stichting Ontwikkelingen Mededingingsrecht. 

In 2018 she worked as a Distinguished Guest Fellow at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest. For 2022, she was selected as a Non-Resident Research Fellow, at the Institute for Consumer Antitrust Studies, Loyola University Chicago. 

Kati’s research centres on EU competition law and its constitutional role in Europe’s legal and economic order. She studies competition law in its broader political-economic context, with particular attention to how EU competition law structure and discipline or enable uneven power relations among economic, social, and political actors. A central analytical lens in her work is the consumer–citizen: not a homogeneous market participant, but a legally constructed identity connecting markets to lived experiences. As consumers are also citizens, media users and workers, she examines how competition law shapes markets, structures power and legitimises particular forms of coordination and competition, while distributing economic opportunities and mediating how individuals experience the social and political consequences of economic power. She sees open and competitive markets as central not only to efficiency, but also to protecting citizens’ constitutional rights, ensuring democratic accountability, upholding the rule of law in economic activity, and guaranteeing equal opportunities within the internal market.

Concerning the EU's rule of law crisis, Kati has been investigating how EU competition law with its central constitutional role in the EU’s economic and legal order can play a role in protecting the rule of law in the EU and its Member States, particularly by safeguarding media pluralism. Presenting her research in  the European Parliament she has argued for mainstreaming effective competition law enforcement in the EU's rule of law toolbox. Her publications analyse how (EU) competition law functions as the guarantor of the rule of law in economic activities, and as the accountability mechanism for markets. Her work on the role of competition law in the media sector she has been interviewed by the Dutch newspaper, NRC, Follow the Money, and De Correspondent.

Kati has been advising and working closely with civil society organizations. Since 2023 she co-organizes the annual DMA workshop with ARTICLE19.org. In 2022, she was the main organizer of the first Capacity Building Training for Civil Society Organizations in EU competition law.

In 2019, together with Or Brook (Leed University) she was awarded the UK’s  ESRC Impact Acceleration Account for their 'Priority Setting Project'. Their Policy Report  summarizes their findings providing  a systematic and comprehensive mapping of the (procedural and substantive) priority setting rules and practices guiding the competition authorities in the European Union and the UK. In 2022, the project started a new phase, Priority Setting Project 2.0 in cooperation with UNCTAD Competition and consumer protection , which expands the research to other regions across the globe, focusing on developing countries and indicators of sustainable and inclusive growth. Their article, 'Beyond consumer welfare: resonsive priority setting in the public interest in competition law enforcement, has won Honorable mention from the AdC Competition Policy Award.

Key Publications

Cseres, K.J. (2026),  'The EU’s ‘Hungary Moment’: Narrow Rule of Law Conditionality and Media Pluralism [pre-publication]', (2026), 53, Legal Issues of Economic Integration, Issue 3, pp. 1-10,

Cseres, K.J. (2026),  'The Draft Merger Guidelines Must Make More Explicit the EU’s Constitutional Values', ProMarket, 16 July 2026. 

Cseres, K.J. (2026), 'From Media Capture to Rebuilding Media Pluralism in Hungary: A Market Regulation Perspective.' MediaLaws, 27 May 2026.

Cseres, K.J. (2026), 'Rebuilding Markets, Restoring Democracy: Hungary After Orbánism' VerfBlog, 2026/5/19, https://verfassungsblog.de/rebuilding-markets-restoring-democracy/.

Cseres, K.J. (2026),  Non-Majoritarian Regulators in Democratic Systems: The Case of competition authorities, European Papers,Vol. 11, No. 1,  pp. 371–393.

Cseres, K.J. Brook O. (2026), Beyond consumer welfare: responsive priority-setting in the public interest in competition law enforcement. Legal Studies. Published online 2026:1-24. 

Cseres, K.J. (2026),  Contribution to LibertiesEU, Defending EMFA: Liberties Responds to Hungary’s Lawsuit With a Third-Party Observation to the Case C-486/24, 11 Ferbuary 2026.

Cseres, K.J. (2025),  The DMA’s Brussels Effect Tested And Contested: Lessons From Brazil, Tech Policy Press, 17th Decmber 2025.

Cseres, K.J. Ciusca, A-C. (2025), The EU’s Chance to Curb Media Capture: Blikk Acquisition in Hungary and the Boundaries of the New European Media Freedom Act, VerfBlog, 2025/12/11.

Cseres, K.J. (2025). The Role of Independent Competition Authorities as Quasi-Courts in Defending Rule of Law Values in Europe in: P Bárd, J Kommerdijk (eds.), Sustaining the Rule of Law, Edward Elgar Publishing, 2025. 307-327.

Cseres, K.J. and O. Brook (2025) Competition Law Enforcement at a Crossroad: Setting Enforcement Priorities in the Era of Digital Markets. IIC 56, 687–691 (2025).

Cseres, K.J. and O. Brook (2025) Gender inclusive priority setting in competition law enforcement, Journal of European Competition Law & Practice, March 2025. 

Cseres, K.J. and L de Korte, (2025). Participation of third parties in the public enforcement of the Digital Markets Act: between democracy and technocracy, Journal of Antitrust Enforcement, pp.1-26.

Cseres, K.J. (2024). European competition law: an overlooked element of the EU’s rule of law toolbox, Swedish Institute for European Policy, November 2024:23epa.

Cseres, K.J. (2024). The Role of Competition Law in Defending Rule of Law Values in the EU. In: Fasone, C., Dirri, A., Guerra, Y. (eds) EU Rule of Law Procedures at the Test Bench. Palgrave Studies in European Union Politics. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-60008-1_16

Cseres, K.J. Varju, M., Czina, V., & Várnay, E. (2024). Annulment Actions and the V4: Taking Legislative Conflicts Before the CJEU. Politics and Governance, 12.

Cseres, K.J. and O Brook, Enforcement Priorities in Developing Countries and Economies in Transition: The Priority Setting Paradox, Forthcoming in: T Cheng, J Nowag, D Waked (eds.), Competition Law in Developing Countries, Edward Elgar Publishers, 2025.

Cseres, K.J.  and O. Brook (2024) Priority Setting as the Blind Spot of Administrative Law Enforcement: A Theoretical, Conceptual, and Empirical Study of Competition Authorities in Europe. Modern Law Review. 

Cseres, K.J. (2024) Feminist Competition Law, Amsterdam Centre for European Law and Governance Research Paper No. 2023-04, Amsterdam Law School Research Paper No. 2023-43. 

Cseres, K.J. (2024) Feminist Antitrust Kluwer Competition Law Blog, 12 January, 2024.

Cseres, K. J. (2024). EU Competition Law and Democracy in the Shadow of Rule of Law Backsliding in: “The changing governance of EU competition law: a constitutional challenge, in:C. Colombo, M. Eliantonio, K. Wright (eds.), The Evolving Governance of EU Competition Law in a Time of Disruptions, A Constitutional Perspective, Hart Publishing. 2024.19-44.

Cseres, K.J.  and O. Brook (2023) The CMA’s New Prioritisation Guidelines: Towards Inclusive and Sustainable Growth? Kluwer Competition Law Blog, 28 November, 2023.

Cseres, K.J. O. Brook, B. Van Rompuy (2023) Abolishing Formal Complaints? Balancing Technical Expertise and Efficiency with Democratic Accountability in the European Commission’s Decision-Making, Journal of European Competition Law & Practice, 2023. 

Cseres, K.J. (2023) Re-Prioritising Referrals under Article 22 EUMR: Consequences for Third Parties and Mutual Trust between Competition Authorities, Journal of European Competition Law & Practice, 2023.

Cseres, K.J. (2023) with J Bayer, Without Enforcement, the EMFA is Dead Letter, A Proposal to Improve the Enforcement of EMFA, Verfassungsblog, 2023 13 June.

Cseres, K.J. (2023) A versenyhatóságok szerepe a médiapluralizmus védelmében (The role of competition authorities in safeguarding media pluralism), Médiakutató, 2023. ősz XXIV. évf. 3. szám, 15–23. 

Cseres, K. J. (2022). Intersection of competition and regulation in abuse of dominance and monopolization in: Research Handbook on Abuse of Dominance and Monopolization, P. Akman, O.Brook, K.Stylianou Edward Elgar 2022.

Cseres, K. J. Reyna, A. (2021). EU State Aid Law and Consumer Protection: An Unsettled Relationship in Times of Crisis, Journal of European Competition Law & Practice.

Cseres, K. J. (2020). Acceptable” cartels at the crossroads of EU competition law and the common agricultural policy, A legal inquiry into the political, economic and social dimensions of (strengthening farmers’) bargaining power, Antitrust Bulletin, pp.1-22.

Cseres, K. J. (2019). Rule of Law Challenges and the enforcement of EU competition law, A case-study of Hungary and its implications for EU law. Competition Law Review, Vo.14(1). pp. 75-99.

Cseres, K. J. (2019). Consumer Social Responsibility in Dutch Law, Erasmus Law Review, 4, (2019):94-110

Cseres, K. J. (2018). The active energy consumer in EU law. European Journal of Risk Regulation, 9(1).

Cseres, K. J. (2017). Universal Service and Consumer Protection: a paradigm shift in EU law. European Competition and Regulatory Law Review, 4, 1-18.

K.J. Cseres (2017). Rule of law values in the decentralized public enforcement of EU competition law In: The Enforcement of EU Law and Values: Ensuring Member States’ Compliance, Jakab, A. Kochenov, D. (eds.), Oxford University Press, pp.182-199.

K.J. Cseres, Outhuisje, A. (2017) Parallel enforcement and accountability: the case of EU competition law, in: M. Scholten and M. Luchtman (eds.), Law Enforcement by EU Authorities. Political and judicial accountability in a shared legal order, Edward Elgar, Cheltenham.

Cseres, K.J.  & J. Mendes (2014). Consumers’ access to EU competition law procedures: outer and inner limits. Common Market Law Review, 51 (2), 483-521. [go to publisher's site]

Cseres, K.J. (2014). Accession to the EU’s Competition Law Regime: A Law and Governance Approach. Yearbook of Antitrust and Regulatory Studies, 7 (9), 31-66.

Cseres, K.J. and Balogh, V. (2013), ‘Institutional Design in Hungary: A Case Study of the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive’, Journal of Consumer Policy 361, pp. 343-365.

Cseres, K.J. (2010), ‘The impact of Regulation 1/2003 in the New Member States’, Competition Law Review 6(2), pp. 77-121.

Cseres, K.J. (2008), ‘What has competition done for consumers in liberalised markets?’, Competition Law Review 4(2), pp. 77-121.

Cseres, K.J. (2007), ‘The controversies of the consumer welfare standard’, Competition Law Review 3(2), pp. 121-173.

Cseres, K.J. (2007), ‘Multijurisdictional competition law enforcement: the interface between European competition law and the competition laws of the new Member States’, European Competition Journal, 3(2), pp. 465-502.

Blogs

On Verfassungsblog

Working Papers

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/cf_dev/AbsByAuth.cfm?per_id=547682

Books

Cseres, K J. Broulík, J  (eds.) Competition Law and Economic Inequality,  Hart Publishing (2022).

Criminalization Of Competition Law Enforcement (2006)

Competition Law and Consumer Protection (2005)

Teaching

Master's programme European Competition Law and Regulation

Principles & Foundations of EU Law, MA

Advanced EU Competition Law, MA

EU Regulated Markets, MA