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Wettbewerbsfreiheit oder Effizienz? / Freedom for competition or efficiency?: Zur Zweisamkeit von Recht und Ökonomie im Bereich der Wettbewerbspolitik

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  • Schmidtchen Dieter

Abstract

The adoption of a „more economic approach” to European competition law gave rise to the question whether the basic aim of the law is to protect freedom in the marketplace or to enhance efficiency. Drawing on property rights theory, this paper shows that the basic problem to be solved by competition law is of a „reciprocal nature” (Coase): Giving more freedom to one party (extending the scope of property rights of this party) necessarily means less freedom for another party. The design of property rights is a zero-sum game. It is shown that the concept of freedom is of no use in solving the dilemma, whereas the concept of efficiency works. Doubts regarding the applicability of the efficiency criterion are rejected.

Suggested Citation

  • Schmidtchen Dieter, 2008. "Wettbewerbsfreiheit oder Effizienz? / Freedom for competition or efficiency?: Zur Zweisamkeit von Recht und Ökonomie im Bereich der Wettbewerbspolitik," ORDO. Jahrbuch für die Ordnung von Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft, De Gruyter, vol. 59(1), pages 143-184, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:bpj:ordojb:v:59:y:2008:i:1:p:143-184:n:10
    DOI: 10.1515/ordo-2008-0110
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Einer Elhauge, 2007. "Harvard, Not Chicago: Which Antitrust School Drives Recent U.S. Supreme Court Decisions?," CPI Journal, Competition Policy International, vol. 3.
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    7. Kirstein Roland & Schmidtchen Dieter, 2002. "Eigennutz als Triebfeder des Wohlstands - die invisible hand im Hörsaal-Experiment sichtbar gemacht," ORDO. Jahrbuch für die Ordnung von Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft, De Gruyter, vol. 53(1), pages 227-240, January.
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    9. Schmidtchen Dieter, 1998. "Effizienz als Rechtsprinzip. Bemerkungen zu dem gleichnamigen Buch von Horst Eidenmüller," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 217(2), pages 251-267, April.
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    14. Hellwig, Martin, 2007. "Wirtschaftspolitik als Rechtsanwendung," Walter Adolf Jöhr Lecture 2007, University of St. Gallen, School of Economics and Political Science, Institute of Economics (FGN-HSG).
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