| Author (Corporate) | European Commission |
|---|---|
| Series Title | COM |
| Series Details | (2013) 257 final (7.5.13) |
| Publication Date | 07/05/2013 |
| Content Type | Policy-making, Report |
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The European Union (EU) is the world's largest economic and trading area. The EU's unique asset and distinct comparative advantage on the global scene is its Single Market, which encompasses over half a billion consumers and more than 20 million firms. Without an effective EU competition policy, the Single Market cannot reach its full potential. There would be nothing to prevent private barriers to trade and competition from replacing the public barriers that free movement rules have dismantled over more than half a century. Nor would Member States be prevented from distorting trade and competition through a myriad of subsidies, a scenario which naturally favours the fiscally stronger. Weakening EU competition policy would undermine the Single Market to the detriment of the growth potential of the EU, the individual economies of which – in particular in the eurozone – are increasingly interdependent. At the same time, competition policy is also crucial in allowing the EU to crack down on abuses of dominant position, cartels and concerted practices that harm consumers. Throughout 2012, all the tools of the EU competition policy – antitrust and merger enforcement as well as State aid control – continued to be deployed as levers across significant parts of the Single Market. The year 2012 also marked the 20th anniversary of the relaunch in 1992 of the European Single Market. This Report on competition policy thus focuses on the role of competition policy in leveraging the Single Market for growth. In 2012, the Commission also continued working with national competition authorities (NCAs) to ensure a coherent application of the EU antitrust rules. In particular, the Commission engaged in close cooperation with the national competition authorities within the European Competition Network (ECN), including efforts to foster convergence of national procedures for the enforcement of the EU antitrust rules which are not generally regulated by EU law. |
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| Source Link | Link to Main Source http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=COM:2013:257:FIN |
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| Subject Categories | Internal Markets |
| Countries / Regions | Europe |
