The Development Of European Competition Policy

This book considers a central issue of our time: the relationship between the macroeconomic objectives of political parties in democratic countries and the legal framework of market economies. The impressive panel of contributors examines social-democratic policies on cartels, market concentration and competition in different European countries, spanning a hundred-year period (specifically the interwar period, the initial postwar period, the 1960s and 1970s, the 1980s and 1990s, and the 2000s). This thought-provoking volume challenges the dominant belief that the EU’s economic system and competition policy were mainly influenced by neoliberal economic thinking, instead showing that Keynesian and social-democratic positions played a major role in the emergence of this system. It will be valuable reading for advanced students, researchers and policymakers interested in modern economic history, industrial organization, political economy, European legal history and political science.

Competition Policy in the European Union provides a comprehensive introduction to the European Union's policies on restrictive practices, mergers monopolies and state aid. The authors offer a wide ranging analysis of the evolution, operation and regulation of one of the EU's most important policies in a clear and accessible format.

Professor Ullrich is thoughtful and attracted star scholars from many countries, so the papers and discussion are provocative and introduce recent economic thinking, although many are written by lawyers. . . The text is lucid and interesting, the thought innovative and anyone seriously interested in competition policy should read these papers and the comments with pleasure. Valentine Korah, World Competition This collection of papers and comments deserves to be widely read, and it should appeal to academics and practitioners alike. The great mix of topics and the variety of views offered make this a very stimulating contribution to the discussion of the new paradigm of EC competition law, the more economic approach, and its implications for the application and interpretation of the various EU antitrust rules. Thomas Eilmansberger, European Law Journal The editor should be congratulated for bringing together this diverse group of scholars whose spirited disagreements remind one of the many challenges faced in exploring the role and function of competition law. Giorgio Monti, European Review of Contract Law With contributions from leading scholars from all over Europe and the US, this book covers the major areas of substantive competition law from an evolutionary perspective. The leitmotiv of the book has been to assess the dividing line between safeguarding and regulating competition, which it does by reviewing the following subjects: foundations of competition policy in the EU and the US strategic competition policy the evolution of European competition law from a national (Italian) perspective the block exemption of vertical agreements after four years the new Technology Transfer Block Exemption cooperative networking mergers in the media sector abuse of market power concepts of competition in sector specific regulation competition, regulation and systems coherence efficiency claims in EU competition law and sector specific regulation. The Evolution of European Competition Law will be of great interest to lawyers, economists, academics, judges and public officials working in the fields of competition law and policy.

A critical examination of the establishment and evolution of European competition law and policy, this volume unveils the history of European economic, and political, integration through a study of the foundations and development of its antitrust law.

An examination of the development of policy in four main areas - mergers and acquisitions, control of subsidies, the regulation of utilities and the link between trade policy and competition policy. It tries to assess how the Commission is equipped in terms of legal powers and manpower resources.

Does competitive process constitute an autonomous societal value or is it a means for achieving more meritorious goals: welfare, growth, integration, and innovation? The hypothesis of The Normative Foundations of European Competition Law is that the former is the case. This insightful book analyses the phenomenon of competition from philosophical, legal and economic perspectives demonstrating exactly why competitive process should not be viewed only as an instrument. It consolidates various normative theories of freedom, market and competition, and explains how exactly they can be operationalized effectively in the matrix of the EU competition policy.

The modern industrial states desperately need more competition in order to generate growth and employment. Although the European Union pushed its member states to open several sectors to competition, there is much left to be done. At the same time powerful interest groups try to avoid or to reduce competition on European labour markets, in the health systems, in the transport and energy sector, in public services, and in many other areas. This book shows that there is much to be gained from intensifying competition and that especially consumers would benefit. One task is to lay a sound basis for the application of competition. The other task is to implement and guarantee competition. The authors cover both issues.

This book comprises a set of papers that were prepared for and delivered at the Global Competition Law Centre's Annual Conference "Modernisation and Enlargement: Two Major Challenges for EC Competition Law". The book presents an analysis of the new Regulation 1/2003 on the implementation of the competition rules laid down in Article 81 and 82 of the Treaty. This new Regulation represents a cultural revolution for EC competition lawyers, who were accustomed to notifying agreements in order to obtain some legal certainty for their clients. Modernisation opens up a brand new world where corporations and their lawyers will be asked to self-assess the validity of their agreements under EC competition law. The direct effect given to Article 81(3) will also stimulate implementation at the national level, including actions in national courts, although several procedural issues may impede private actions in courts. Amongc its other features, Regulation 1/2003 also creates a European Competition Network (ECN), which provides an institutional focus for cooperation between the NCAs and the Commission, as well as among the NCAs themselves. Enlargement of the European Union was one of the factors, which contributed to the adoption of Regulation 1/2003. Enlargement will expand the geographical scope of application of EC competition rules, but it will also create many important challenges. The NCAs of the new Member States are relatively new organisations, which in some cases lack the expertise and resources to pursue a credible enforcement agenda. These Member States are, however, willing to take on those challenges and, though a period of adaptation will be needed, there are no reasons why they should be unable to progressively develop a successful competition policy. Already, some agencies (e.g., in Hungary or Poland) have developed a credible enforcement record. This book is invaluable for all EU competition lawyers.