Committed to Reform? Pragmatic antitrust enforcement in electricity markets

A wave of antitrust scrutiny has swept across the European energy markets in recent years. For fear of drawn-out competition law investigations and high fines, targeted energy firms voluntarily offered far-reaching commitments to the European Commission, oftentimes selling off substantial parts of their business. The Commission has an ambitious plan to create a single market for energy, but liberalization processes often meet opposition from governments and industry stakeholders. Whenever the EU energy reforms get stuck in political deadlocks, the Commission eagerly resorts to competition enforcement and pushes forward its energy agenda through the back door of negotiations with investigated energy companies. Does this instrumental use of competition rules really foster energy market integration? Or, does it backfire and actually hinder, rather than serve, its purpose? This book provides in-depth case studies of EU competition enforcement in the electricity sector. It shows how the Commission bends and stretches competition law beyond its proper limits to accommodate non-competition goals. The book's cross-disciplinary approach, and its clear straightforward language makes it a good read for both lawyers and economists interested in the interplay between the EU competition and energy policies and their impact on electricity markets. (Series: European Studies in Law and Economics - Vol. 15) [Subject: Economics, European Law, Competition Law, Energy Law]

Malgorzata Sadowska is Research Fellow at the European University Institute and focuses on the law & economics of energy regulation and EU competition enforcement in the energy sector. She also coordinates the activities of the Energy Law Area at the Florence School of Regulation. Prior to joining EUI in 2013, she was Researcher in EU energy regulation at Tilburg Law & Economics Center, and worked at the European Commission, DG Competition and in leading competition and public law firms in Brussels and Cologne. Malgorzata holds a PhD in Law and Economics (EDLE joint doctoral programme by the Universities of Rotterdam, Bologna and Hamburg, 2013) and Master degrees in Law (University of Gdansk, 2006) and European Studies (University of Hamburg/Europa-Kolleg, 2008).