Publisher's Synopsis
This volume examines market structure and the potential role of competition policy of the economies in transition in Central and Eastern Europe. It will include data on the emerging market structures in Poland, Hungary and the Czech and Slovak Federative Republics, as well as case material on the operation of competition offices of the economies in transition. Key practitioners from the German Cartel office and the EBRD provide a Western perspective on how to create and operate an effective competition policy.;The volume addresses three issues of crucial importance to the development of the emerging economies. Does competition policy have any serious role in the transition process? It might be argued that free trade would be adequate to ensure competitive pressures on domestic producers but economies in transition have severely imperfect market structures, and may be unwilling to accept the widespread bankruptcies that could result from really free trade. Recent Polish moves to raise tariffs support this latter view.;Should competition policy for the economies in transition follow the European Community or American mode? In practice, economies in transition have followed the former and their decision has been bolstered by the Articles of Association with the European Community. However, the more aggressive and individualistic approach of the Americans might be more apposite. Case practice in the West tends predominantly to cover mergers. To date, abuse of dominant positions is the key problem of the economies in transition. The ramifications include a different pattern of competition law enforcement, different procedures and different orientation. A related issue caused the formation of "crisis cartels" of the economies in transition, and how they should be treated in the law, and in practice.;Within the context of this detailed analysis, the editors conclude by attempting to assess the best way forward for these economies in the 1990s.
