Abstract
The chapter deals with the consideration of competition policy in the context of the EU-Australia FTA. It first gives an overview about the reasons for and possible content of competition chapters in general. In the following, the competition chapter of the EU-Australia FTA is analysed and compared with the most common competition rules in FTAs. Moreover, it is put into a broader context by analysing other agreements of the EU and Australia regarding competition issues. Here, especially agreements with the same party, like UK or Canada, are of special interest since they could serve as a model for the future chapter on competition. Finally, conclusions are drawn if the EU-Australia FTA will be another example of the European approach in competition cooperation.
This chapter is based on the doctoral thesis of the author, Wettbewerbsregelungen in Unionsabkommen: Bedeutung und Einfluss für die Entwicklung der internationalen Zusammenarbeit bei Wettbewerbsbeschränkungen mit grenzüberschreitender Regelung, 2021.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
Compare the list of agreements at European Commission, Bilateral relations on competition issues, https://ec.europa.eu/competition/international/bilateral/ (last accessed 9 September 2021).
- 2.
Anderson et al. (2018), p. 27.
- 3.
In the case of Microsoft the European and US-American authorities came to different results, cf. U.S. Court of Appeals, US v. Microsoft, (D.C. Cir. 2001), 253 F.3d 34; Europäische Kommission, Microsoft, COMP/C-3/37.792, ABl. L 32 of 6.2.2007.
- 4.
Trebilcock et al. (2013), p. 756 et seq.
- 5.
Anderson et al. (2018), p. 26.
- 6.
Agreement between the Government of the United States of America and the Commission of the European Communities regarding the application of their competition laws, OJ 1995 L 95/47.
- 7.
For state aid provisions in the EU-Australia FTA, see Chap. 5.
- 8.
Cf. Fröhlich (2018), p. 208 et seq.
- 9.
Laprévote et al. (2015), p. 4 et seq.
- 10.
- 11.
Article 287 para. 2 of the Comprehensive and enhanced Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Armenia, of the other part, OJ 2008 L 23/4; Article 10 para. 11 of the Free Trade Agreement between the European Union and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, OJ 2020 L 186/3.
- 12.
Teh (2009), p. 425.
- 13.
Panel Report, Japan-Measures Affecting Consumer Photographic Film and Paper, WT/DS44/R, adopted 31.03.1998.
- 14.
Tschaeni and Engammare (2013), p. 58.
- 15.
Capobianco and Nagy (2016), p. 570.
- 16.
It only exists an agreement for cooperation in consumer policy, An administrative Arrangement for Information Sharing on Consumer Policy and Protection between the Government of Australia and the European Commission, 2002, https://www.accc.gov.au/system/files/Arrangement%20for%20information%20sharing%20on%20consumer%20policy%20%26%20protection%20between%20the%20Government%20of%20Australia%20%26%20the%20European%20Commission.pdf (last accessed 9 September 2021).
- 17.
EU-Australia FTA, Chapter Anticompetitive Conduct, Merger Control and Subsidies, https://trade.ec.europa.eu/doclib/docs/2019/july/tradoc_158281.pdf (last accessed 9 September 2021).
- 18.
European Commission, Report of the 10th round of negotiations for a trade agreement between the European Union and Australia, March 2021, EU-Australia trade agreement: report of the 10th round of negotiations (europa.eu) (last accessed 9 September 2021), p. 3.
- 19.
Like the Free Trade Agreement between the European Unon and the Republic of Singapore, OJ 2019 L 294/3, Trade Agreement between the European Union and its Member States, of the one part, and Colombia and Peru, of the other part, OJ 2012 L 354/3.
- 20.
Fröhlich (2018), p. 210 et seq.
- 21.
Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between Canada, of the one part, and the European Union and its Member States, of the other part, OJ 2017 L 11/23.
- 22.
Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, of the one part, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, of the other part, OJ 2020 L 444/14.
- 23.
Agreement between the European Union and the Swiss Confederation concerning cooperation on the application of their competition laws, OJ 2014 L 347/3.
- 24.
Multi-stage modell according to Völcker (2019), para. 104 et seq.
- 25.
Baetge (2009), p. 412 et seq.
- 26.
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, entered into force for Australia in 2018, https://www.dfat.gov.au/sites/default/files/tpp-11-treaty-text.pdf (last accessed 9 September 2021); Chapter 16 on Competition Policy of the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, https://www.dfat.gov.au/sites/default/files/16-competition-policy.pdf (last accessed 9 September 2021).
- 27.
Abrenica and Bernabe (2017), p. 165.
- 28.
Directive 2014/104/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 November 2014 on certain rules governing actions for damages under national law for infringements of the competition law provisions of the Member States and the European Union, OJ 2014 L 349/1, which needed to be transposed into national law until the end of 2016.
- 29.
Multilateral Mutual Assistance and Cooperation Framework for Competition Authorities, 2020, https://www.accc.gov.au/system/files/MMAC%20-%20FINAL%20English%20-%202%20September%202020%2811501052.1%29.pdf (last accessed 9 September 2021).
- 30.
Solano and Sennekamp (2006).
- 31.
Laprévote et al. (2015), p. 6, who, in relation to ANZCERTA, named Australia’s approach in this way, but here identified the duty to harmonise as the distinguishing element.
- 32.
Australian Government, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Australia-UK FTA negotiations: agreement in principle, https://www.dfat.gov.au/trade/agreements/negotiations/aukfta/australia-uk-fta-negotiations-agreement-principle#competition (last accessed 9 September 2021).
References
Abrenica MJV, Bernabe J (2017) Competition chapter in the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement: developing a template for a multilateral framework. In: Chaisse J, Gao H, Lo CF (eds) Paradigm shift in international economic law rule-making. Springer, Heidelberg, pp 165–186
Anderson RD, Kovacic WE, Müller AC, Sporysheva N (2018) Competition policy, trade and the global economy: existing WTO elements, commitments in regional trade agreements, current challenges and issues for reflection, Staff Working Paper ERSD-2018-12. World Trade Organization, Geneva
Baetge D (2009) Globalisierung des Wettbewerbsrechts. Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen
Capobianco A, Nagy A (2016) Developments in international enforcement co-operation in the competition field. J Eur Compet Law Pract 7(8):566–583
Fröhlich M (2018) The potential influence of free trade agreements as a boost for a multilateral competition law – the special case of SAAs and CEFTA. In: Popović DV (ed) Legal implications of trade liberalization under SAAs and CEFTA. University of Belgrade, Belgrade, pp 203–218
Laprévote FC, Frisch S, Burcu C (2015) Competition policy within the context of free trade agreements. International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) and World Economic Forum, Geneva, http://e15initiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/E15-Competition-Laprevote-Frisch-Can-Final.pdf
Solano O, Sennekamp A (2006) Competition provisions in regional trade agreements, OECD Trade Policy Papers No. 31. OECD Publishing, Paris
Teh R (2009) Competition provisions in regional trade agreements. In: Estevadeordal A, Suominen K, Teh R (eds) Regional rules in the global trading system. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 418–491
Trebilcock M, Howse R, Eliason A (2013) The regulation of international trade. Routledge, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, pp 756–780
Tschaeni H, Engammare V (2013) The relationship between trade and competition in free trade agreements: developments since the 1990s and challenges. In: Herrmann C, Krajewski M, Terhechte J (eds) European yearbook of international economic law, vol 5. Springer, Heidelberg, pp 39–69
Völcker S (2019) in: Wettbewerbsrecht und seine internationale Durchsetzung: Kartellbehörden in Drittstaaten und ihre Beziehungen zur Europäischen Kommission. In: Körber T, Schweitzer H, Zimmer D (eds) Immenga/Mestmäcker Wettbewerbsrecht, Band 1. EU Kommentar zum Europäischen Kartellrecht, vol 6. Beck, München
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Fröhlich, M. (2022). The Competition Chapter in the EU-Australia FTA. In: Bungenberg, M., Mitchell, A. (eds) The Australia-European Union Free Trade Agreement. European Yearbook of International Economic Law(). Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-91448-6_9
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-91448-6_9
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-030-91447-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-030-91448-6
eBook Packages: Law and CriminologyLaw and Criminology (R0)