INSTITUTIONAL SYSTEM OF EUROPEAN COMMUNITY ANTITRUST LAW

Abstract

The article provides thorough account of the gradual development of the European Community antitrust policy and operation of the Community institutions from the initial period of the 1960’ to the continuing transformation of its antitrust law and the fundamental changes brought about by establishment of the internal market and enactment of Regulation 1/2003.

First, the main institutional features of the previous enforcement framework are set out. The following section discusses an alternative institutional framework that was proposed in order to alleviate the perceived problems.  The remainder of the article reviews the modernization of European Community antitrust law's institutional framework, in particular Regulation 1/2003- a legislative text that, with the exception of the Merger Control regulation, is considered as the most important legislative instrument for the powers of the European Commission.