What Can the Consumer Welfare Hypothesis Do for You? At Least Three Things…

This text was published as Weekend Edition of EU Law Live. It explains what the Consumer Welfare Hypothesis can do for legal scholars, especially (but not only) in the European Union:1 offer two new responses to arguments of this kind: from an economic point of view, this norm/institution/decision/policy is inefficient because it reduces total welfare (this second part might be implicit)2 the analysis supporting the hypothesis shows a different way to intertwine law and economics. If the one you have encountered in the past left you unimpressed or even irritated you, I understand; but still, try the Consumer Welfare Hypothesis. It is an entirely different thing!3 the Consumer Welfare Hypothesis opens a wealth of research questions waiting for an answer. You might well be the best person to answer one (or more) of them