Centre for Competition Policy

The Centre for Competition Policy (CCP) is a research centre based at the University of East Anglia. It was established in 2004, with a grant from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) to fund a 10-year research programme. The centre incorporates economic, legal, management, political science and sociological perspectives to produce inter-disciplinary competition policy research.

Competitive policy research

A properly regulated, competitive market provides consumers with products they want at the best possible prices. Competition policy provides the framework to encourage businesses to compete productively, and without fixing prices, unfairly excluding rivals, gaining market power through mergers, or receiving distorted subsidies. It operates alongside policies that regulate other aspects of business behaviour (e.g. environmental, social).

Competition law provides little restraint on business behaviour in markets with many alternative suppliers. When fewer firms participate in a market, however, it is appropriate to constrain a range of anticompetitive business practices. In cases of monopoly, the policy options include direct regulation of the firm’s behaviour.

Economic analysis provides an understanding of how consumers, firms and markets operate, of when markets fail for lack of competition and of the consequences of policy interventions. Legal analysis is necessary because the courts establish standards and provide the framework within which competition agencies have to operate. The design and development of policies, as well as the bodies that implement them, require an understanding from political science. CCP's research applies each of these disciplines individually and together to achieve real-world policy relevance without compromising academic rigour.

CCP operations

The ESRC Centre for Competition Policy's research explores competition policy from the perspective of economics, law, business and political science. Based at the University of East Anglia, the CCP has 19 academic faculty members working on the Centre’s research programme, three or four of whom are based full-time in the Centre each semester. Also undertaking and contributing to the research are research associates, post-doctoral research fellows, and PhD students (each of whom has at least one supervisor who is a CCP member).

While maintaining independence, CCP has close links with regulatory authorities, including the European Commission, Competition Commission, Office of Fair Trading, BIS, Ofgem, Ofcom, World Bank and with private sector practitioners. The Centre produces a regular series of working papers, policy briefings and publications, and a bi-annual newsletter with short articles reflecting our recent research. An e-bulletin keeps academics and practitioners in touch with publications and events, and there is a programme of conferences, workshops and practitioner seminars throughout the year. It is also a partner in the Competition Law and Economics European Network (CLEEN).

Public debate

CCP members have issued reports and commentary in public forums on topics including energy bills, switching suppliers and price fixing. Recent scholarly articles include examinations of article 102 of the EU treaty, antitrust dialectics, and price matching.

External links

• Centre for Competition Policy - main website
• University of East Anglia - main website