The ‘New’ Competition Policy: The Public Sector and the Utilities

Abstract

While traditional aspects of anti-trust have formed the backbone of the EU’s competition regime, the Commission’s remit extends far beyond the control of restrictive agreements, dominant practices and mergers, allowing for the regulation of government-industry relations. State aid control is one way in which the Commission regulates governments. Another has been through DGIV’s attempts to inject competition into the EU’s public utilities, those sectors where state ownership or privileged government-industry relations are the norm.