European Union Antitrust Enforcement against Cartels – Priorities in the Context of Globalisation of Business and Economic Crisis

In the context of globalisation and EU member states’ efforts to overcome the difficulties of the economic crisis, realising the full potential of the Single Market is the main component of a credible plan for higher and sustainable growth in the EU. Competition policy is the central pillar of the Single Market. A strong antitrust enforcement, especially fighting cartels and preventing the creation of new ones, is at the core of open and fair pan-European markets, higher productivity and growth across Europe. This article summarizes the activities of the European Commission for the investigation and sanctioning of companies involved in cartels, focusing on the effectiveness of preventive policy of the Commission in antitrust enforcement, reflected in particular by the evolution of the fines imposed in cartel cases. The analysis outlines how antitrust policy contributes to strengthening the single market and the EU economic growth and examines the challenges for the implementation of antitrust policy caused by the changes in the dynamics and complexity of the economic environment, at the national and international level.