Trawling for minnows. European competition policy and agreements between firms

Trawling for minnows, European competition policy and agreements between firms:
The Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) is a network of over 400 Research Fellows, based primarily in European universities. The Centre co-ordinates its Fellows' research activities and communicates their results to the public and private sectors.

In this book the authors examine the policy of the European Union towards agreements between firms from three perspectives. First, they consider what the literature in industrial economics has to say about the effects of such agreements on competition, and about the consequent rationale for public intervention. Second, they examine the decisions of the European Commission and the European Court, asking to what extent these are consistent with the recommendations that emerge from the scientific literature. Third, they look at the procedures of the Commission and the way it undertakes investigations and reaches decisions, in order to see to what extent these procedures represent an appropriate means of implementing a defensible policy.

The book provides an up-to-date account of modern economic analysis as it applies to agreements between firms; proposes a new streamlined procedure for the evaluation of vertical agreements; establishes criteria for a set of joint ventures, balancing their risk to competition against their potential efficiency benefits; casts light on the way the Commission currently takes decisions and the inducements this creates for lobbying; and proposes reforms to increase transparency and reduce the cost of Article 85 for business.

Neven, Damien (et al.)
Trawling for minnows. European competition policy and agreements between firms
Centre for Economic Policy Research, 1998
ISBN: 1-898128-34-0
Price: £16.95 / 25.00 Euros

From: CEPR, 90-98 Gowell Road, London,. ECIV 7DB, United Kingdom. Tel: +44-(0)171-878-2900; Fax: +44-(0)171-878-2999; E-mail: orders@cepr.org