Shouldn’t We Know What We Are Protecting? Yes We Should! A Plea for a Solid and Comprehensive Debate About the Objectives of EU Competition Law and Policy

"This article aims to contribute to the debate on the objectives of EU competition law. In the first part, the evolution of the objectives of competition policy is briefly examined. The purpose is not to give an exhaustive historical overview but to show how many different objectives can be identified in relation to the system of EU competition law. Multiple objectives still exist—they are not a thing of the past.

In the second part, the impact of the policy objectives on legislation and decision-making is illustrated briefly to show that this is not merely a theoretical debate. Then the discussion on objectives is presented in a broader perspective. Some more general developments in EU law, concerns of governance and the current structure of competition law enforcement are highlighted. Some concluding remarks are finally formulated that hopefully help take this debate a step forward."