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New Evidence on Price Effects of Transparency Regulations in European Fuel Markets

Author

Listed:
  • Lea Bernhardt

    (Hamburg Institute of International Economics (HWWI))

  • Xenia Breiderhoff

    (Helmut Schmidt University Hamburg)

  • Ralf Dewenter

    (Helmut Schmidt University Hamburg)

Abstract

This paper analyses the impact of transparency regulations on Super 95 and Diesel prices in Austria, France, and Germany to shed new light on the price effects of regulatory policies. To identify the effects of regulation, we use publicly available data from January 2005 to the end of December 2018 and estimate synthetic difference-in-difference models. In summary, our findings reveal notable differences. While prices in France did not change significantly, the results for Austria suggest that the price-reducing effect of the 2011 Price Fixing Act was offset by the transparency policy, ultimately leading to a price increase for Super 95 prices. In Germany, the Market Transparency Unit (MTU) has a price-reducing effect of two to three cents per litre, especially in the long term.

Suggested Citation

  • Lea Bernhardt & Xenia Breiderhoff & Ralf Dewenter, 2025. "New Evidence on Price Effects of Transparency Regulations in European Fuel Markets," Journal of Industry, Competition and Trade, Springer, vol. 25(1), pages 1-27, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jincot:v:25:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1007_s10842-024-00438-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s10842-024-00438-1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Oschmann, Sebastian, 2025. "Vertical market structure matters: The case of a horizontal retail merger in the German gasoline market," DICE Discussion Papers 418, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf Institute for Competition Economics (DICE).

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    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • K21 - Law and Economics - - Regulation and Business Law - - - Antitrust Law
    • K23 - Law and Economics - - Regulation and Business Law - - - Regulated Industries and Administrative Law
    • L13 - Industrial Organization - - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance - - - Oligopoly and Other Imperfect Markets
    • L41 - Industrial Organization - - Antitrust Issues and Policies - - - Monopolization; Horizontal Anticompetitive Practices
    • L51 - Industrial Organization - - Regulation and Industrial Policy - - - Economics of Regulation

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