EU competition law on electricity sector liberalisation

Abstract

Copyright © 2014 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd. This paper aims to study how competition law helps facilitate the process of EU electricity liberalisation and study the use of competition law on the liberalised EU energy market. This paper provides an overview of competition law regarding to purposes of EU competition law and articles 101, 102 and 106 of EC Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. The paper explores the role of competition law on EU electricity market liberalisation and focuses on the three main directive packages that transform EU electricity market towards competition. It further explores competition law enforcement that facilitates the structural change in EU electricity sector and discusses how the EU Competition Commission utilise the competition law to decrease market barriers in EU electricity sector. Finally the paper focuses on possible issues for competition law on EU electricity sector, especially on merger and acquisition cases. The last part provides conclusion of the paper.