Although citizens value competitive markets and support small businesses, we observe substantial variation in market concentration. Why do politicians abstain from taking action to reduce concentration? We propose an often overlooked political benefit to concentrated markets: When concentration...

Utilizing Connor's International Cartel Database and employing difference-in-differences methodology, we find that market concentration, the number of buyers and cartel duration have significant impacts on cartel overcharges. We also find that the European Commission's 2006 guidelines on the...

There are many evidences which prove that cartels’ price leads to an economic inefficiency, due to the reduced consumers welfare. Antitrust authorities have set up different ways to defeat and prevent collusive agreements, but as widely showed by the literature, deterring collusion may have...

The rapidly deteriorating global security environment has pushed EU institutions and Member States to call for further consolidation of the European defence industrial base, with the European Commission taking a proactive stance in promoting a stronger, more integrated, and competitive defence...

This study constructs a model of exclusive-offer competition between two existing up-stream firms. Under exclusive-offer competition, the upstream firm's profit depends on the rival's exclusive offer. If the rival makes an exclusive offer acceptable for the downstream firm, the upstream firm is...

The regulatory shift by competition and antitrust authorities, allowing limited industry collusion in sustainability-related investments to align markets with broader environmental and social objectives, suggests a re-evaluation of competition as a mechanism for promoting collective welfare....

This paper examines the impact of two interventions by Colombia's competition authority to enforce competition in the sugar market on firm performance in downstream sectors. Using an exogenous identification strategy, the analysis finds that following the competition authority's intervention...

Im Auftrag des SECO haben wir die Beschwerdeverfahren in Kartellsachen vor dem Bundesverwaltungsgericht (BVGer) umfassend analysiert - erstmals unter Einsatz künstlicher Intelligenz. Unsere Auswertung aller seit 2013 publizierten Urteile zeigt: Die Verfahren dauern im Schnitt über fünf Jahre,...

The Handbook on EU Competition Law - Rules Applicable to Merger Control gives an overview about EU legislation applicable in the field of Merger Control. The new 2010 edition includes the changes introduced by the Lisbon Treaty.

The automotive industry is undergoing a fundamental transformation driven by digitization, enabling original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to exert increasing control over vehicle functions, data, and - consequently - aftersales markets. Despite high relevance for consumers, regulatory scrutiny...

Economic downturns and geopolitical tensions fuel protectionism, leading to trade barriers and competition policy manipulation to restrict FDI deemed harmful to national interests and favor domestic firms. National and international reforms are essential. Given challenges in global cooperation,...

In this report we study the implementation and effectiveness of the antitrust remedies that the European Commission imposed over the last 20 years pursuant to Article 7 (prohibition decisions) and Article 9 (commitments decisions) of Regulation 1/2003. To this end, we collect evidence from a...

In this report we study the implementation and effectiveness of the antitrust remedies that the European Commission imposed over the last 20 years pursuant to Article 7 (prohibition decisions) and Article 9 (commitments decisions) of Regulation 1/2003. To this end, we collect evidence from a...

This paper explores algorithmic collusion from both legal and economic perspectives, underscoring the increasing influence of algorithms in firms’ market decisions and their potential to facilitate anti-competitive behaviour. By employing bandit algorithms as a model—typically used in...

Antitrust policy aims to reduce market concentration and increase competition among firms. Contemporary antitrust is sensitive to both domestic and international considerations. Internationally, the market is dominated by the largest firms, raising questions about the competitiveness of domestic...

For the past decade, U.S. communications policymakers have been debating the need for net-neutrality regulation of "dominant" communications carrier platforms. One of the reasons advanced for regulating these carriers derives from a fear that carriers could reduce competition in the production...

Competition authorities impose substantial penalties on firms engaging in illegal pricefixing. We examine how basing cartel fines on either revenue, profit, or price overcharge influences cartel and market prices, as well as cartel incidence and stability. In an infinitely repeated Bertrand...

Utilizing Connor's International Cartel Database and employing difference-in-differences methodology, we find that market concentration, the number of buyers and cartel duration have significant impacts on cartel overcharges. We also find that the European Commission's 2006 guidelines on the...

Können Monopolrenten Innovation fördern oder zementieren sie lediglich Marktmacht? Dieser Beitrag untersucht die Spannungen zwischen zwei konkurrierenden wettbewerbspolitischen Modellen: dem US-amerikanischen Ansatz, der unternehmerische Disruption durch Monopolgewinne belohnt, und dem...

The automotive industry is undergoing a fundamental transformation driven by digitization, enabling original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to exert increasing control over vehicle functions, data, and - consequently - aftersales markets. Despite high relevance for consumers, regulatory scrutiny...

Commercial sports belong to the biggest entertainment industries in the world and, at the same time, are regularly raising antitrust concerns. This is partly due to the omnipresence of powerful market-internal regulators. These sport governing bodies set, implement, and enforce the rules and...

Digitale Märkte sind von verschiedenen Besonderheiten geprägt, wie geringeren Kosten und Preisen, intermediären Geschäftsmodellen und einer zentralen Bedeutung von Daten und Innovationen. Einige dieser Besonderheiten wirken selbstverstärkend und stellen das Kartellrecht vor neue...

A bonus on the fine in response to the defendant running a corporate compliance program is superfluous because working leniency programs provide all the incentives necessary to implement efficient compliance. Others opposed to such a bonus argue that unreduced fines are sufficient to incentivize...

Wage-fixing and no-poach agreements generally qualify as restrictions by object under Article 101(1) TFEU. While the pro-competitive effects of such agreements must be considered if demonstrated and significant, net efficiencies are uncertain and less restrictive means of achieving them are...