RPN Competition
Research Policy Network (RPNs) Competition Policy

Competition Policy

Project lead

Tommaso Valletti

Professor of Economics Imperial College London Business School; Professor of Economics University of Rome "Tor Vergata"

Context

Competition policy issues are now more prominent in the public debate than at any point in decades.  The purpose of the Competition Policy RPN is to become a leading platform for the critical discussion of competition policy design and outcomes worldwide.   

Overview

Academic research increasingly suggests that margins and concentration have been rising across the economy for over 40 years.  The growing market power of giant digital platforms raises concerns about privacy and data protection, exploitation of consumers and small businesses, and foreclosure of smaller rivals.  Issues such as algorithmic collusion, “killer acquisitions,” and common ownership are all rising in policy debates.  While there is debate about the sources and consequences of these trends, there is a growing realisation that there has been underenforcement of competition law with respect to both merger control and abuse of dominant market positions, leading to multiple regulatory initiatives in the EU, US, UK, and Australia. Much remains to be done, including agreeing on guiding principles, specific rules, and implementation mechanisms, both in digital markets and beyond. 

The purpose of the CEPR Competition Policy RPN is to become a leading platform for the critical discussion of competition policy design and outcomes worldwide. This is particularly important in an adversarial context like competition enforcement, where parties with “skin in the game” seek to shape the public debate by sponsoring research favourable to their point of view. The RPN seeks to create a network of academics and enforcers to evaluate both  influential decisions and academic research, and generate practical guidance to promote better policymaking as well as more policy-relevant academic research. 

The Leader of the RPN is Tommaso Valletti (Imperial College Business School). Leadership of the RPN is supported by a Steering Committee: Rod Sims (Chair), Cristina Caffarra (University College London), Greg Crawford (University of Zurich) (Vice-Chairs), Tomaso Duso (DIW Berlin, TU Berlin and the Berlin Centre for Competition Policies (BCCP)), and Monika Schnitzer (LMU Munich and member of the German Council of Economic Experts).

    Events

    The primary activity of the RPN is to organize workshops and conferences that bring together leading academics, enforcers, and policymakers to discuss topical policy questions in antitrust and regulation.  It aims to create a bridge between the enforcers and policymakers facing practical policy questions and the academics with an interest in these questions.

    The Competition Policy RPN will host several events, falling into two types. The first event type (“bottom-up”) brings together academics, practicing economists, and regulators to discuss the current thinking on specific topics of high contemporary policy interest. Relevant casework and academic papers are chosen to be presented and discussed in a format accessible to a policy audience. The insights from these events are later distilled into a CEPR Policy Brief, written by selected RPN members and academics to appeal to as broad a policy audience as possible, with the intention to foster better policymaking.

    The second event type (“top-down”) brings to the table those shaping and implementing the competition policy agenda worldwide, including heads of competition agencies, politicians, and other thought leaders in the competition policy space.

    Transparency in these discussions is important, therefore participation in any event organized by the CEPR Competition Policy RPN requires strict adherence to the disclosure policies.

    Disclosure Policies

    Competition Policy RPN Session at the CEPR Paris Symposium 2023

    On Monday, 11 December 2023, 18:00 – 19:00 (Paris Time), the Competition Policy RPN held a Panel at Sciences Po during the CEPR Paris Symposium 2023.

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    Chair of Steering Committee

    Rod Sims

    Professor Australian National University

    Vice Chair of Steering Committee

    Cristina Caffarra

    Honorary Professor University College London

    RPN Vice Chair of Steering Comittee, Competition Policy / RPN Associate Fellow, Competition Policy

    Steering Committee

    Tomaso Duso

    Head of the department Firms and Markets Deutsches Institut Für Wirtschaftsforschung (DIW Berlin); Professor of Empirical Industrial Economics Technical University Of Berlin

    Monika Schnitzer

    Full Professor in the Department of Economics Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich (LMU)

    Members

    Özlem Bedre Defolie

    Professor (Joint Chair) in the Department of Economics and the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies European University Institute; Affiliated Associate Professor University Of Bergen

    Luis Cabral

    Paganelli-Bull Professor of Economics and International Business New York University

    Emilio Calvano

    Associate Faculty Toulouse School Of Economics; Professor of Economics University of Rome "Tor Vergata"

    Giacomo Calzolari

    Professor of Economics European University Institute; Professor of Economics, EUI Florence Fondazione Bologna University Business School

    Florian Ederer

    Allen and Kelli Questrom Professor in Markets, Public Policy and Law Boston University; Research Member European Corporate Governance Institute

    RPN Member, Competition Policy / Fellow, Industrial Organization

    Federico Etro

    Professor University Of Florence

    RPN Member, Competition Policy

    Rosa Ferrer

    Affiliated Professor Barcelona School Of Economics; Associate Professor, Department of Economics and Business Pompeu Fabra University

    Fellow, Industrial Organization / RPN Member, Competition Policy

    Amelia Fletcher

    Professor of Competition Policy, Norwich Business School Norwich University; Deputy Director, Centre for Competition Policy University Of East Anglia

    RPN Member, Competition Policy

    Joshua Gans

    Professor of Strategic Management and Jeffrey S. Skoll Chair of Technical Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Rotman School of Management University Of Toronto

    Paul Heidhues

    Professor of Behavioral and Competition Economics Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf

    James Hodge

    Chief Economist Competition Commission South Africa

    RPN Member, Competition Policy

    Massimo Motta

    Research Professor Barcelona School Of Economics; Research Professor at ICREA Pompeu Fabra University

    Martin Peitz

    Director Mannheim Centre For Competition And Innovation (MaCCI); Professor of Economics University Of Mannheim

    Pierre Régibeau

    Chief Competition Economist, DG Competition European Commission

    RPN Member, Competition Policy

    Mar Reguant

    Research Fellow Barcelona School Of Economics; Vice President, Climate Centre for Economic Policy Research; Professor Northwestern University

    Fellow, Industrial Organization / RPN Member, Competition Policy / CEPR Vice President

    Patrick Rey

    Professor of Economics Toulouse School Of Economics

    Fellow, Industrial Organization / Fellow, Organizational Economics / RPN Member, Competition Policy

    Rod Sims

    Professor Australian National University

    Steve Tadelis

    Professor of Economics, Business and Public Policy University Of California, Berkeley

    Otto Toivanen

    Professor Aalto University School of Business; Academic Director Helsinki Graduate School Of Economics

    Fellow, Industrial Organization / Fellow, Organizational Economics / RPN Member, Competition Policy

    Hannes Ullrich

    Associate Professor of Economics Senior Research Associate Diw Berlin

    RPN Member, Competition Policy

    Thibaud Vergé

    Vice-President Autorité de la Concurrence; Professor of Economics (on leave) Polytechnic Institute of Paris

    RPN Member, Competition Policy
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