EU Competition Law and the Financial Services Sector


Book Description

Competition law is a complex and constantly evolving area of law which affects every aspect of the market economy, including the financial services sector. This book is a comprehensive and practical guide to the application of the EU competition rules to banking and insurance industries. This book is divided into two parts: the first part explores the application of Articles 101, 102 and 107 TFEU to the insurance industry. Emphasis is placed on recent changes which have progressively eroded the block exemption regime that traditionally benefited the insurance industry. In the second part of the book, focus is on the application of the Articles of TFEU to the banking industry, with specific reference to card payment systems, which give rise to some of the most intricate antitrust issues in the financial services sector. Relevant Commission decisions and European Court of Justice case law are discussed and suggestions are made for an alternative regulatory framework through comparative analysis of US regulations. This book will be an invaluable reference point for legal practitioners specialising in EU Competition law, as well as postgraduate students and academic researchers working in competition law and the financial services sector.




Joint Ventures and EU Competition Law


Book Description

This book examines the treatment of joint ventures (JVs) in EU Competition Law, and at the same time provides a comparison with US law. It starts with an analysis of the rather elusive concept of JV, encompassing both concentrative JVs (subject to merger control) and non-concentrative JVs. Although focused on possible definitions of joint ventures in terms of competition law, it also includes a broader perspective (going beyond competition law) on the different legal models of structuring cooperation links between undertakings. At the core of the book is an attempt to build an analytical model for the assessment of JVs in terms of antitrust law, especially as regards Article 101 of the TFEU. The analytical model used proposes a set of sequential analytical levels, taking into account structural factors and specific factors related to the main constituent elements of the functional programmes of JVs. The model is applied to a substantive assessment of four main types of JVs identified on the basis of their prevailing economic function: research and development JVs; production JVs; commercialization JVs; and purchasing JVs. Also covered are particular situations of joint ownership of undertakings falling short of joint control. In the concluding part of the book recent developments in JV antitrust law are put into context within the wider reform of EU Competition Law. The book is also comprehensively updated with the latest developments concerning the reform of the EU framework of horizontal cooperation between undertakings that took place at the end of 2010.




The Oxford Handbook of International Antitrust Economics


Book Description

The Handbook examines the most important issues that arise in antitrust economics. Leading scholars in the field provide detailed critical analysis of developments across a number of different antitrust topics along with a detailed review of the literature. The Handbook is invaluable as a research and teaching tool.




Understanding the Blockchain Economy


Book Description

Blockchains are the distributed ledger technology that powers Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies. But blockchains can be used for more than the transfer of tokens – they are a significant new economic infrastructure. This book offers the first scholarly analysis of the economic nature of blockchains and the shape of the blockchain economy. By applying the institutional economics of Ronald Coase and Oliver Williamson, this book shows how blockchains are poised to reshape the nature of firms, governments, markets, and civil society.




Securities Clearance and Settlement Systems


Book Description

How to assess securities clearance and settlement systems, based on international standards and best practices.




The Federal Reserve System Purposes and Functions


Book Description

Provides an in-depth overview of the Federal Reserve System, including information about monetary policy and the economy, the Federal Reserve in the international sphere, supervision and regulation, consumer and community affairs and services offered by Reserve Banks. Contains several appendixes, including a brief explanation of Federal Reserve regulations, a glossary of terms, and a list of additional publications.




Fintech and Payments Regulation: Analytical Framework


Book Description

Financial technology (Fintech) has prompted authorities to consider their potential financial stability benefits, risks, and effective regulation. Recent developments suggest that regulatory approaches and their legal foundations need to augment entity-based regulation with increasing focus on activities and risks as market structure changes. This paper draws on recent international experiences in modernizing legal and regulatory frameworks for payment services. An analytical framework based on a four-step process is proposed—(i) identifying payment activities; (ii) licensing entities and designating systems; (iii) analyzing and managing risks, and (iv) promoting legal certainty. As payment activities evolve and potential systemic risks heighten, adherence to international standards and additional regulatory requirements should be warranted.




The Antitrust Revolution


Book Description

The Antitrust Revolution: Economics, Competition, and Policy, Fifth Edition, examines the critical role of economic analysis in recent antitrust case decisions and policy. The book consists of economic studies of twenty-one of the most significant antitrust cases of recent years, twelve of them new to this edition and nine updated from the fourth edition. These cases include alleged anticompetitive practices by Visa and MasterCard, Microsoft, and Kodak; mergers--proposed or consummated--by Staples and Office Depot, PSEG and Exelon, EchoStar and DirecTV, and Heinz and Beech-Nut; and other competitive issues such as predatory pricing in the airline industry, "reverse-payments" in settlements of patent litigation, the use of bundled rebates by dominant firms, exclusive dealing, and retailer-instigated restraints on supplier sales. New overview essays precede the four sections of the book: Horizontal Structure; Horizontal Practices; Vertical and Related Market Issues; and Network Issues. Commissioned and edited by John E. Kwoka, Jr., and Lawrence J. White, the case studies are written by prominent economists who participated in the proceedings. These economists were responsible for helping to formulate the economic issues, undertake the necessary research, and offer arguments in court. As a result, they are uniquely qualified to describe and analyze the cases. Fully updated with the most current examples, this volume provides detailed and comprehensive insight into the central role that is now played and will continue to be played by economists in the antitrust process. The Antitrust Revolution, Fifth Edition, is ideal for undergraduate and graduate classes in industrial organization, government policy, and antitrust/regulation law and economics. It is also a useful reference book for lawyers and economists-both academics and practitioners-who are interested in the types of economic analyses that have been applied in recent antitrust cases. A companion website featuring cases from the previous four editions is available at www.oup.com/us/antitrustrevolution.




Issues in the Governance of Central Banks


Book Description

This report by the Central Bank Governance Group presents information intended to help decision-makers set up governance arrangements that are most suitable for their own circumstances. The report draws on a large body of information on the design and operation of central banks that the BIS has brought together since it initiated work on central bank governance in the early 1990s. The need to deal with chronic inflation in the 1970s and 1980s prompted the identification of price stability as a formal central bank objective and led to a significant reworking of governance arrangements. The current global financial crisis could have equally important implications for central banks, particularly with respect to their role in fostering financial stability. Although it is too early to know how central banking will change as a result, the report takes an important first step in identifying governance questions that the crisis poses.