The Challenges and Trajectories of EU Competition Policy in the Twenty-first Century

Abstract

Sixty years have now passed since the signing of the Treaty of Paris establishing the European Coal and Steel Community in 1951, and during that period competition policy has become firmly anchored as one of the key pillars of European integration. A regime of European competition governance has emerged that centers on the European Commission, specifically its Directorate-General for Competition (DG COMP), and has matured to tackle the four constituent parts of the EU competition policy brief, cartels, monopolies, mergers and state aid. The focus and enforcement of EU competition policy is constantly being reviewed in response to new challenges and opportunities as DG COMP seeks greater consistency in competition norms and greater policy convergence both within the EU and the wider global environment. The opening article of this volume introduces the context in which substantive changes to the EU competition regime has occurred in the twenty-first century. It identifies the major drivers for such change including economic interdependence, the proliferation of national competition laws, and the current financial and economic crisis, and describes how EU competition policy has evolved in response to these challenges.

Digital markets, competition regimes and models of capitalism: A comparative institutional analysis of European and US responses to Google

“…Time horizons: Short-termism vs long-term perspectives. Although the literature reported a shift to a short-term perspective (Aydin and Thomas, 2012), the Commission's arguments outlined in the case of Google, still depict long-term concerns. First, the 'more-economics' approach in the EU competition regime is still highly intertwined with the long-term Internal Market project and the promotion of the four freedoms.…”

The electoral foundations to noncompliance: addressing the puzzle of unlawful state aid in the European Union

“…Second, determining noncompliance is straightforward as national governments can implement state aid only upon notification to and approval by the Commission. Third, this procedure has been consolidated over the past few decades (Cini and McGowan 2008, 175; Aydin and Thomas 2012, 533–537; Kassim and Lyons 2013, 8–9). Data on EU state aid are now comprehensive in terms of coverage of transactions and economic sectors and are highly comparable across countries as they fall under common EU legal criteria (Franchino and Mainenti 2013).…”

Delegation in EU merger control: The determinants of referrals to national competition authorities (2004–2012)

“…As stated in the Treaty of Rome, the Commission was empowered to control state aid and enforce antitrust rules. More recently, it extended its competences over merger policy (Aydin and Thomas, 2012; McGowan and Cini, 1999; Warlouzet, 2016).…”