This paper considers the integration of competition policy and innovation policy in the context of R&D cooperation. An explicit comparison of the welfare losses under ex-ante and ex-post R&D cooperation reveals differing incentives to undertake R&D in both regimes. The strength of these...

In this study, the interaction between the competition-cooperation nexus and regulation in retail payment systems is analysed by applying the main lessons from the theory of network industries. This is justifiable on the grounds that the payment systems industry inherently has many...

Our trust in competition policy is based on faith in markets. <p> When markets are oligopolies, already classical economists’ trust in <p> competition busted: Oligopolies carry the seeds of collusion. To develop, <p> collusion needs trust between firms. But new leniency programmes are <p> designed to bust...</p></p></p></p>

The paper analyses the extent of and the reasons behind limits to competition policy <p> harmonisation in EU enlargement. Our focus is on vertical restraints. First, we <p> compare the relevant legal regimes towards vertical agreements in the EU and in <p> Eastern Europe. We then describe competition...</p></p></p>

We briefly review the rationale behind technological alliances and provide a snapshot of their role in global competition, especially insofar as it is based around intellectual capital. They nicely illustrate the increased importance of horizontal agreements and thus establish the relevance of...

The paper analyses the extent of and the reasons behind limits to competition policy <p> harmonisation in EU enlargement. Our focus is on vertical restraints. First, we <p> compare the relevant legal regimes towards vertical agreements in the EU and in <p> Eastern Europe. We then describe competition...</p></p></p>

This paper is motivated by the European Union strategy to secure competitiveness for Europe in the globalising world by focussing on technological supremacy (the Lisbon - agenda). Parallel to that, the EU Commission is trying to take a more economic approach to competition policy in general and...

The energy utilities – gas and electricity companies – were traditionally regulated monopolies, but once the EU decided to liberalise them, competition policy became applicable. The EU has used a series of Directives to set out the framework for a market-led energy sector, with third party...

Prices may di er between regional markets if transport capacities are limited. We develop a new approach to determine to which extent such di erences stem from limited participation in cross-border trader rather than from bottlenecks. We derive a theoretical integration benchmark for the typical...

This paper studies competition between Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) and “Conventional Insurers”. Most of the time, MCOs sign exclusive contracts with providers and these vertical restrictions associated to differentiation in the providers'market imply a risk segmentation. Taking into...