UNCTAD call for papers: Competition policy and development

Call for contributors

Competition policy and development

Contribution to UNCTAD XII

UNCTAD is seeking contributions from experts and scholars to form part of an edited collection of essays specifically examining the topics mentioned below. The proposed research will fall within the broad theme of competition policy and competitiveness. In exploring the nature of the relationship between competition policy and competitiveness the emphasis will be on empirical research which will (i) assess the impact of competition law and policy enforcement (or lack thereof) on competitiveness; (ii) test competition theory and research findings through a series of case studies of country experiences, and (iii) formulate policy recommendations.


Research themes

The following themes could be included in the research project. Other similar topics can be considered however and we encourage any scholar interested in the general aims of this collection to contact us:

· Anti-competitive practices and their adverse effects on developing countries; it is often suggested that developing countries stand to lose the most from anti-competitive practices in the international economy, such as international hard-core cartels, vertical restraints, and foreclosure. This is a frequently used argument and one proffered as inducement to developing countries for a multilateral framework on competition. An attempt could be made to test this hypothesis. In conjunction, the question of whether and under what conditions cartels can be beneficial to developing countries (as suggested by some delegations at the WTO) could also be tested.
· Competition policy as a stimulus for enterprise development; would explore the extent to which the enactment of competition legislation and the adoption of competition law and policy has the effect of increasing a country's overall enterprise development capabilities. Based on various “best-practices” identified, a number of policy guidelines would be developed.
· Competition policy, supply capacity and export diversification; the issue under investigation would be the impact of competition law and policy on firms' incentives for the acquisition of know-how including related investments in physical and process technology, networking, and sustainable increases in firm supply capacity. Based on these findings, the next step would assess the impact of competition (either through liberalisation, deregulation or competition enforcement) on firms' ability to upgrade their competitiveness or opening up opportunities for export diversification in emerging dynamic sectors.
· Exemptions and exceptions from competition: what are the implications for international performance? It is often argued that firms/sectors facing strong domestic competition are also the ones performing best at international level. The study would investigate whether industries/sectors that are exempted/excepted from competition policy perform better or worse than those covered. This question, for which the other side of the coin is the "national champion" argument would be tested empirically in the context of selected developing countries.
Methodological approach
The project therefore envisages a hybrid methodological approach, combining qualitative and quantitative analysis, supported by cross-national and sectoral case studies. For instance, quantitative indicators of effectiveness of antitrust and competition policy enforcement based on data from each country's competition authorities and supplemented with assessments by legal practitioners (such as institutional effectiveness, competition advocacy, law enforcement) will be used not only in connection with entrepreneurship promotion but also export diversification. Other useful indicators that will have the potential to serve a broader objective (future research, activities of competition authorities, etc.) could be collected based on a common methodology that would allow cross-country comparisons, e.g. market structure of key sectors, natural monopolies, market concentration, size of firms, rules governing entry and exit, ownership structure (domestic/regional/foreign, private/state-owned), etc.

Application procedures and deadlines

. sample of previously published work that is relevant to topics outlined above.

Deadline for submission: 20 January 2008
Researchers (external consultants) based in developing countries, ideally affiliated with some institutions that could form the basis of a longstanding research partnership with UNCTAD are particularly encouraged to apply.

To apply and for further details please contact:

hassan.qaqaya@unctad.org
ana.maria.alvarez@unctad.org
pierre.horna@unctad.org
dominique.stutz@unctad.org

Se prohíben las fusiones verticales en el sector de energía eléctrica en Colombia

Por medio de la Resolución No. 95 de 2007 la Comisión de Regulación de Energía y Gas - CREG (Colombia), en concordancia con el artículo 74 de la Ley 143 de 1994, prohibió la realización de operaciones de integración vertical (vías absorción) entre una empresa que presta el servicio público de energía eléctrica (constituidas con anterioridad a la vigencia de la Ley 143 de 1994) y una empresa que desarrolle las actividades de transmisión, generación y distribución de energía eléctrica.

La integración vertical en el sistema de salud Colombiano

Los investigadores Jairo Humberto Restrepo Zea (U. Antioquia), John Fernando Lopera (U. Antioquia) y Sandra Rodríguez Acosta (U. del Norte) han publicado un interesante documento titulado "La integración vertical en el sistema de salud Colombiano" en el cual se concluye que las integraciones verticales entre las Empresas Promotora de Salud (EPS) y las Instituciones Prestadores de Salud producen más beneficios (entre otros, un menor precio) que un esquema en el cual las EPS (presta ell servicio de aseguramiento) y las IPS (presta el servicio de salud) son independientes.

Los autores combinan una exposición teórica sobre el las integraciones verticales, el funcionamiento del régimen de salud en Colombia, la conducta de las instituciones que lo operan y un robusto análisis económico sobre los dos tipos de esquemas (empresas integradas verticalmente y empresas independientes).

El documento fue publicado en la Revista de Economía Institucional, Vol. 9, No. 17, 2007.

La historia del monopolio natural

He encontrado un excelente documento sobre la historia del concepto de monopolio natural titulado "On the Origins of the Concept of Natural Monopoly" (Diciembre, 2006) de M. Mosca de la Università di Lecce. Recomiendo la lectura de este ensayo en el que se desarrollan las teorías relacionadas con los mercados en los cuales, por razones estructurales, es más eficiente la existencia de una sola empresa. El clásico ejemplo es el servicio de acueducto y alcantarillado en el cual, debido a la naturaleza del servicio, su prestación solo es rentable para una empresa.

A continuación trascribo la información más relevante del artículo.

Abstract: The purpose of this article is to begin writing the history of the concept of natural monopoly. In economics natural monopoly is described as a situation in which, for structural reasons, only one firm finds it profitable to produce in the market. The following features which go to make up the notion of natural monopoly are identified: 1. the expression itself; 2. the singling out of the concrete situations to which it is applied; 3. the inquiry into economies of scale; 4. the consideration of their compatibility with competition; 5. the drawing of the diagram; 6. the request for Government intervention. In this paper each of the above features is separately examined from a historical perspective, highlighting the originality of economic theories in that specific respect, as well as their historical influence.

Keywords: history of economics, natural monopoly, cost curves, competition JEL

Classifications: B10, D42, H40, L90

Post data: (3/7/08)

Muy amablemente la profesora Manuela Mosca me ha informado que su documento fue recientemente publicado y cuya referencia es la siguiente: "The European Journal of the History of Economic Thought", XV, 2008, n.2, pp. 317-353.

La visita número 1,000!

Desde su creación, el 4 de sepiembre de este año, el blog "Derecho de la Competencia" ha recibido más de mil visitas de diferentes rincones del mundo. Las principales cifras sobre el origen de los visistantes son las siguientes: 34% de las visitas proviene de Colombia; 19% de España; 5% de México; 4% de Panamá, Argentina, Venezuela y Chile; 3% de Estados Unidos, El Salvador y Perú; y 2% de Bélgica, Portugal, Honduras y Ecuador.

En total un 65% de las visitas proviene de Suramérica (el target del blog), un 27% de Europa y un 8% de Norteamérica.

Gracias a los lectores frecuentes y a quienes contribuyen a la mejora de este espacio, creado para todos aquellos interesados en las políticas y leyes de competencia en en mundo.

Nuevas Guías para Concentraciones Empresariales No-Horizontales en la Comunidad Europea

La Comisión de Competencia de la Comunidad Europea ha adoptado unas nuevas Guías para el análisis de Concentraciones Empresariales No-Horizontales. El 28 de noviembre fue publicado el comunicado de prensa en el cual se informa sobre la adopción de estas Guías cuyo objeto es instruir a las compañías sobre la forma como la autoridad europea estudiará el impacto sobre la competencia de las concentraciones empresariales de tipo vertical y de conglomerado.

Weblog sobre derecho de la competencia del prof. Giorigio Monti

El profesor Giorgio Monti (London School of Economics), autor de libro "EC Competition Law" (Law in Context Series, Cambridge University Press, 2007) ha creado el weblog "Competition Law Board" el cual comentarios sobre el derecho de la competencia en la Comunidad Europea y Estados Unidos. Asimismo, el weblog es un complemento para el libro "EC Competition Law" cuya última edición es de octubre de este año.