Using a sample of 96 mergers notified to the EU Commission and logit regression techniques, we analyse the Commission's decision process. We find that the probability of a phase 2 investigation and of a prohibition of the merger increases with the parties' market shares. The probability...

Almost universally, the Oaxaca (1973) decomposition is used to compare the outcomes between two discrete groups, e.g., black and white. In many applications, however, groups are not readily divided into discrete bins. The purpose of this paper is to extend the Oaxaca decomposition to examine...

This paper describes a dynamic random effects econometric model from which inferences on earnings mobility may be made. It answers questions such as, given some initial level of observed earnings, what is the probability that an agent with certain characteristics will remain below a specified...

Two-sided network effects in card payment systems are analysed under different market structures, e.g., competition, one-sided monopoly, bilateral monopoly and duopoly; with and without an interchange fee; for the so-called Baxter case of non-strategic merchants. A partial ranking of market...

Introduction: In 2009, the Swedish pharmaceuticals market was reformed. One of the stated policy goals was to achieve low costs for pharmaceutical products dispensed in Sweden. Methods: Prices and sales data for off-patent brand-name and generic pharmaceuticals have been collected, and a...

The EU procurement directives stipulate that public contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder or to the bidder with the economically most advantageous offer; the latter requiring that a scoring rule must be specified. We provide a simple theoretical framework for tender evaluation and discuss...

Non-contractible quality dimensions are at risk of degradation when the provision of public services is privatized. However, privatization may increase quality by fostering performance-improving innovation, particularly if combined with increased competition. We assemble a large data set on...