Assessment criteria for distinguishing between competitive and dominant oligopolies in merger control

The issue of collective dominance (dominance of a market by a few competitors) is an increasingly important aspect of the Commission's examination of the competitive effects of potential mergers. The Commission has therefore committed itself to codify its interpretation of collective dominance in merger control, in a notice likely to be published in 2002. As a contribution to the preparatory work by the Commission services, Enterprise DG has commissioned this study in order to provide the necessary economic background to monitor this debate and the associated enterprise policy implications.