Application of Competition Policy and Law in Small and transition Economies- Albanian Case

Albania is one of the first countries in the region of Southeast Europe that has applied an antitrust law according to the standards of the European legislation. Even though the small size of the economy, where the GDP is 979 milliard lek, (round 10 milliard American dollars), the objectives of the competition law and policy are identical with those that are applied in big and developed economies. From this point of view the Competition Commission has uphold its decision-making in the principles of the protection of free and effective competition in the market, in function of the prosperity of the economy and increasing welfare of the society. But in small economies the application of the anti-trust law has to be seen with attention for the combination of the competition policy with other policies like: industrial policy, monetary and fiscal policy, and also for the size of the enterprises with dominant position or the effect of a cartel (prohibited agreement) in the relevant market or in the economy. The first complications of the application of the law,relates to the differences in the objectives of the competition policy with other policies for example industrial policies.