How has European competition policy empowered the commission?

Type :

Term papers

Pages :

6 pages

Format :

.doc

Published date :

05/07/2009

Category :

Political science

Sub category :

European union

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Summary :

Introduction
Presentation of European Competition Policy's actors and aims
1. European competition policy
2. The Commission
Examples of conflicts on competition in the EU and the position of the Commission
1. The case of Microsoft
2. Hachette: An example of mergers that would have created a dominant position
3. Telecom sector (and TV operators) in Italy
The real power of the Commission
1. Impose fines: A real power?
2. Competences are shared with member states
3. European Competition Policy: Empowering the Commission

Abstract

This question could appear really simple, and the first answer that comes is "yes of course": with the introduction of european competition policy, the EU commission has an extended power, and can now decide if a company respects competition laws in the Union or not. But this issue is actually more complicated, and is in fact thought-worthy: is this a real power, which enables the commission to take new measures? Another way to discuss is to look at the issue from companies' point of view: some of them could be now afraid by settling in Europe, because of this increasing power of the commission. To conclude, we can say that the power given by european competition policy to the commission is not absolute. I will thereby try to explain in this paper in what circumstances the commission more power has now, and what are the aim and the limits of this power.
In a first part, I will present briefly the commission, and particularly its connection with competition. I will introduce european competition policy too, in order to explain the role of the commission, and its theoretical possibilities to take measures concerning competition issues. Then I will analyze some cases of conflict between commission and companies concerning competition. This analysis will help me to conclude, and to underline the limits of the power of commission given by european competition policy.