The Global Reach of EU Competition Law

Abstract

The chapter explores the extraterritorial application of the EU’s cartel rules, rules on unilateral conduct and merger control through case studies. It suggests that whilst the Commission’s global reach is extensive, this is tempered by the cooperative approach that the Commission nurtures with other competition agencies as well as a global drive towards convergence of antitrust standards. The scope for cooperation is more extensive in certain fields (e.g. merger control) and much less in others where there is disagreement on the superior standard (e.g. unilateral conduct). At the same time the chapter identifies the limits to the many forms of cooperation which the EU pursues and to the global quest for convergent standards.