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Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
The Future Group “Competition & Sustainability” at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) has examined the question of how economic competition on the one hand and sustainability goals on the other hand can be combined, and has now produced a seminal work.
How can the market economy be preserved without compromising the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations? Can the ambitious goals for sustainable development be achieved despite competition between companies? How can a company offer suppliers in the Global South better conditions while trying to undercut competitors on price? Are climate protection and market economy contradictory?
Researchers from the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Business Administration and Economics at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU) have undertaken a comprehensive examination of these questions in an interdisciplinary project within the framework of the HHU Future Group “Competition & Sustainability”.
In the recently published book “Competition and Sustainability – Economic Policy and Options for Reform in Antitrust and Competition Law", the team draws an initial conclusion: Competition and sustainability are not mutually exclusive. An economy based on exploitation of the planet and people in the Global South is not a sustainable model, either economically or legally. When it comes to achieving sustainability goals, competition-based solutions are superior to state intervention or coordinated solutions. Greater incentives to pursue these goals in a competitive way are needed.
Tristan Rohner, postdoc at the Faculty of Law and one of the authors of the study, summarises: “The necessary transformation of the economy will only succeed in competition, not against competition. Many cases of unsustainable behaviour stem from market failure. A systematic approach must be taken to combat this.” The authors offer concrete options for reform, focusing on the areas of competition economics and antitrust law.
The 240-page book serves as a useful overview of the problems and solutions found in one of the most controversial issues in current antitrust doctrine and offers concrete policy options for EU competition law.
Martijn Snoep, Chairman of the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM), puts the publication into context: “This book is a very rich and insightful addition to the existing literature on the relationship between competition and sustainability. It is based on the premise that the necessary transformation of the economy to achieve sustainability goals is possible using the power of competition. The authors provide an elaborate list of policy and enforcement options to make this happen, not only in the field of agreements, but also abuse of dominance and mergers. The book provides a comprehensive and accessible overview for those who are new to this area of law and sharpens the mind of the experienced reader, whether in academia, private practice, policy making or enforcement.”
The team of authors reflects the highly interdisciplinary approach and outstanding links between the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Business Administration and Economics: “Competition and Sustainability” was written by the competition law experts Professor Dr Rupprecht Podszun and Dr Tristan Rohner (both from the Faculty of Law) and the competition economists Professor Dr Justus Haucap and Dr Anja Rösner (both from the Faculty of Business Administration and Economics). Professor Dr Charlotte Kreuter-Kirchhof (Director of the Düsseldorf Institute for Energy Law (DIER) at HHU), Professor Dr Rüdiger Hahn and Alexandra May from the Chair of Sustainability Management and Philipp Offergeld from the Chair for Civil Law, German and European Competition Law also contributed to the book.
The work is based on a study conducted last year by the economists and legal experts at HHU on behalf of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action.
Future Group “Competition & Sustainability”
The inter-faculty project has been funded by HHU since 2021. It aims to gain insights into how economic competition on the one hand and sustainability goals on the other hand can be combined. It also aims to explore how the interplay of law and market mechanisms can improve the implementation of such goals.
Competition and Sustainability, Economic Policy and Options for Reform in Antitrust and Competition Law, Justus Haucap, Director, DICE, Düsseldorf Institute for Competition Economics, Anja Rösner, postdoc, DICE, Düsseldorf Institute for Competition Economics, Rupprecht Podszun, Director, Institute for Competition Law and Tristan Rohner, postdoc, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany, Edward Elgar Publishing, Cheltenham (GB) 2024, ISBN: 978 1 03532 538 2
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