Das Europäische System der Zentralbanken - ein Modell für ein Europäisches Kartellamt?

Abstract For a few years, especially German authorities have shown dissatisfaction over the enforcement of European competition policy, particularly the application of the Merger Regulation. German politicians and above all the President of the Bundeskartellamt (German Cartel Office) propose an independent European competition agency. This article asks whether the European System of Central Banks (ESCB) can be a model for an independent agency consisting of a European Cartel Office (ECO) and national cartel offices. This structure would make it easier to apply the principle of subsidiarity to European competition policy. Because of the differences between monetary and competition policy, it is necessary to modify the regulations concerning the ESCB before adopting them to competition policy.