European Antitrust Policy 1957-2004: An Analysis of Commission Decisions

43 Pages Posted: 17 Jul 2008 Last revised: 30 Mar 2011

See all articles by Martin A. Carree

Martin A. Carree

University of Maastricht - Department of Organization & Strategy

Andrea Günster

Maastricht University - Department of Organization & Strategy; ZHAW School of Management and Law

Maarten Pieter Schinkel

University of Amsterdam - Department of Economics; Tinbergen Institute

Date Written: August 12, 2009

Abstract

This paper provides a survey of European antitrust law enforcement since its foundation in the Treaty of Rome of 1957 up to and including 2004. We present a complete overview and statistical analysis of all 538 formal Commission decisions under Articles 81, 82 and 86 of the European Community Treaty. We report a range of summary statistics concerning report route, investigation duration, length of the decision, decision type, imposed fines, number of parties, sector classification, nationality and Commissioner and Director General responsible. The statistics are linked to changes in legislation and administrative implementation, thereby providing a historical overview that summarizes the Commission's work in the area of antitrust. We estimate the determinants of the size of the imposed fine in case of an infringement. Against 166 of 538 decisions one or more appeals were lodged. We estimate the determinants of probability that a finding of an infringement is appealed against.

Keywords: Appeal, Competition policy, European Commission

JEL Classification: L40, K21

Suggested Citation

Carree, Martin A. and Günster, Andrea and Günster, Andrea and Schinkel, Maarten Pieter, European Antitrust Policy 1957-2004: An Analysis of Commission Decisions (August 12, 2009). Review of Industrial Organization, Forthcoming, Amsterdam Center for Law & Economics Working Paper No. 2008-06, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1162145 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1162145

Martin A. Carree (Contact Author)

University of Maastricht - Department of Organization & Strategy ( email )

P.O. Box 616
Maastricht, 6200 MD
Netherlands

Andrea Günster

ZHAW School of Management and Law ( email )

Theaterstrasse 17
Winterthur, 8401
Switzerland
+41589347946 (Phone)

HOME PAGE: http://https://www.zhaw.ch/en/about-us/person/gues/

Maastricht University - Department of Organization & Strategy ( email )

P.O. Box 616
Maastricht, Limburg 6200MD
Netherlands

Maarten Pieter Schinkel

University of Amsterdam - Department of Economics ( email )

Roetersstraat 11
1018 WB Amsterdam
Netherlands
+31 20 525 7132 (Phone)
+31 20 525 5318 (Fax)

Tinbergen Institute ( email )

Gustav Mahlerplein 117
Amsterdam, 1082 MS
Netherlands

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