The Contribution of Competition Policy to Growth and the EU 2020 Strategy

This study researches the link between competition policy and economic growth. In particular, the authors investigate the contribution from the competition instruments – antitrust, merger control, sector specific measures, liberalisation and State aid – to achieve the goals of the EU 2020 Strategy. The analysis is based on ten case studies of practical application of competition instruments in various sectors, such as energy, postal, telecommunication, transport, manufacturing and financial services. The authors conclude that competition policy contributes significantly to the EU 2020 Strategy and to economic growth, and the authors make recommendations for improvements of competition policy to further strengthen that contribution.