Standards reduce production costs and increase products' value to consumers. Standards however entail risks of anti-competitive abuse. After the adoption of a standard, the chosen technology normally lacks credible substitutes. The owner of the patented technology might thus have additional...

In September 2008, the EU replaced national-level regulation on Maximum Residue Levels (MRLs) in pesticides with harmonized Community-wide regulation. Using data on pesticide MRLs for 53 trading partners over 2005-2014, we examine the effects of this harmonization on both intra- and extra-EU...

This article studies the likely impact of unconventional gas developments in the US on EU competitiveness. We find, first of all, little evidence for a prosperous unconventional gas development in Europe. Second, the US boom has already a strong impact on both world and European energy markets....