Based on a database of 326 merger cases scrutinized by the European Commission between 1990 and 2007, we evaluate the economic impact of the change in European merger legislation in 2004. We ?rst propose a general framework to assess merger policy effectiveness, which is based on standard...

Based on a database of 326 merger cases scrutinized by the European Commission between 1990 and 2007, we evaluate the economic impact of the change in Euro-pean merger legislation in 2004. We first propose a general framework to assess merger policy effectiveness, which is based on standard...

This paper presents empirical evidence about the ability of event studies to capture mergers' ex-post profitability as measured by accounting data. We use a sample of large horizontal concentrations during the period 1990-2002 involving 482 firms either as merging firms or competitors, and...

This chapter provides a comprehensive discussion of the deterrence properties of a competition policy regime. On the basis of the economic theory of law enforcement, we identify several factors that are likely to affect its degree of deterrence: (1) sanctions and damages; (2) financial and human...

The health system and the various healthcare markets are characterized by a number of special features requiring a high degree of government regulation. Giving all sections of the population access to healthcare services, and doing this cost-effectively and affordably, is a political challenge...

Economists have long discussed the correlation between the quality of competition policies and a country's productivity growth. It is, however, very difficult to prove this connection, to determine its extent or to quantify it. Commissioned by the European Commission, a team of international...

The role of merger control is to protect the interests of consumers over those of major corporations. To improve this protection, European merger control underwent comprehensive reforms in 2004. The aim was to increase the importance of economic principles in reaching verdicts. An empirical...

We investigate the welfare impact of parallel imports using a large panel data set containing monthly information on sales, ex-factory prices, and further product characteristics for all 700 antidiabetic drugs sold in Germany between 2004 and 2010. We estimate a two-stage nested logit model of...