State-Initiated Restraints of Competition by Josef Drexl

‘The issue of competition law’s role in relation to state-owned enterprises is at the center of many discussions of competition law today, especially in regard to China, but in numerous other countries as well. Often the issue is oversimplified as one of mere opposition between state-owned enterprises and the objectives of competition law. That opposition exists, but the issues are often far more complex, and they involve fundamental current developments in the relationship between government and the economy. This book is masterful in identifying the range of issues involved and in analyzing the experiences and tensions in this relationship. It has a broad range, and several of the contributions are exceptionally insightful. All are very useful.’ — David Gerber, Illinois Institue of Technology, US

‘This book is an important and most welcome contribution to the study of state-initiated restraints on competition. It gathers together leading academics in order to recognize and suggest tools to ensure that such restraints do not restrict competition in a way which reduces welfare. Accordingly, the book provides important insights on how to identify such restraints in different settings, some of which are intentional and well recognized and some of which are not. It then suggests principled approaches to reduce such restraints, based, inter alia, on case studies from around the world, including Australia, India, the EU, the US and Brazil. It is highly recommended for anyone interested in the role states play in creating restraints on competition.’ — Michal S. Gal, University of Haifa, Israel