The dairy sector makes a substantial contribution to the agricultural turnover in many Member States (MS) of the European Union (EU) as well as in the EU as a whole. Nevertheless, within the EU-27, the size and agricultural importance of the dairy sector varies considerably between MS and across...

This report proposes a prospective vision of the future of the European milk market after the removal of the quotas in 2015. The study has been conducted through consultation of a panel of independent experts. Experts have offered their opinions to describe future trends, driving factors,...

The imbalances in bargaining power between the contracting parties in the food supply chain have drawn much attention, also from policy makers. The European Commission is committed to facilitate the restructuring of the sector by encouraging the creation of voluntary agricultural producer...

The objective of the study is to obtain an overview of the possible policy options for the phasing out of the milk quota scheme and the accompanying measures which could help to ensure a 'soft landing' for the industry should quotas be phased out in 2015. Specifically, this study analyses and...

This study on the functioning of retail electricity markets for consumers in the EU is the follow up to the first market study conducted in 2009/2010, and published by the European Commission in 2010. The objectives of the current study are to investigate if a well-functioning electricity market...

The key objective of this multi-method, exploratory study was to investigate advertising and marketing practices in online social media (OSM) from the perspective of consumer behaviour and consumer protection. It aimed to identify and assess commercial practices in the context of OSM that could...

Will die Europäische Union ihr erklärtes Ziel erreichen, sich zur wettbewerbsfähigsten und dynamischsten wissensbasierten Wirtschaft der Welt zu entwickeln, dann muss sie ihre Wettbewerbsleistung drastisch steigern. Obwohl sie die besten makroökonomischen Bedingungen des Jahrzehnts und...

We model the impact of bank mergers on loan competition, banks' reserve holdings and aggregate liquidity. Banks compete in a differentiated loan market, hold reserves against liquidity shocks, and refinance in the interbank market. A merger creates an internal money market that induces financial...