Politics of European Competition Regulation

Hubert Buch-Hansen is Assistant Professor of International Political Economy at Copenhagen Business School.Angela Wigger is Assistant Professor of Global Political Economy at the Institute of Management Research at the Radboud University, The Netherlands.

'The great merit of this work is that it develops its critique of the neoliberal reform drive of the European Union not in categorical terms but by focusing on the complex issues involved in competition policy as a major pillar of economic governance. Building on an in-depth research programme, it paints a broad picture of the diverse strands of competition policy from a historical perspective, which unravels the politics that led to the original European antitrust treaty provisions, the application thereof back in the 60s and 70s, and the more recent neoliberal turn and its ongoing consolidation. What makes this study stand out is the combination, so rare these days, of a comprehensive topical treatment and a theoretically informed approach.' – Kees van der Pijl, Professor of International Relations, University of Sussex'An excellent and rigorous critical political economy account that puts EU competition regulation policies in their place theoretically and historically, this work critiques mainstream positions and elaborates a radical alternative in a powerful historical analysis of the changing content, form, and scope of competition regulation policy. It offers a powerful critique of neo-liberalism and redefines the field.' – Bob Jessop, Professor of Sociology, Lancaster University'A critical appraisal of competition policy in Europe has long been overdue as an antidote to the cloying pro-competition orthodoxy. Wigger and Buch-Hansen provide a systematic radical overview which is refreshing, provocative and thought provoking. Above all they locate competition within a political framework which emphasises power relations and identifies winners, losers and the corporate interests behind the design of policy. This study constitutes an essential contribution to a full understanding of European competition policy and the dynamics of reform.' – Stephen Wilks, Professor of Politics, University of Exeter

• 1. Introduction 2. Theorising Competition Regulation: A Critical Political Economy Perspective 3. The Origins of European Competition Regulation I: National Level Developments 4. The Origins of European Competition Regulation II: The Supranational Level 5. European Competition Regulation in the Era of Embedded Liberalism 6. The Neoliberalisation of European Competition Regulation 7. Consolidating Neoliberalism: European Competition Regulation from the 1990s onwards 8. EC Competition Regulation at the Dawn of the Century: Modernisation, Contestation and Crisis 9. The Neoliberal Crusade for Bilateral and Multilateral Competition Rules 10. Concluding Remarks