What We Do

The ESRC Centre for Competition Policy's research programme explores competition policy from the perspective of economics, law, business and political science.A properly regulated, competitive market provides consumers with products they want at the best possible prices.  Competition policy provides the framework to encourage businesses to compete productively, and without fixing prices, unfairly excluding rivals, gaining market power through mergers, or receiving distortionary subsidies. It operates alongside policies that regulate other aspects of business behaviour (e.g. environmental, social).Competition law provides little restraint on business behaviour in markets with many alternative suppliers.  When fewer firms participate in a market, however, it is appropriate to constrain a range of anticompetitive business practices.  In cases of monopoly, the policy options include direct regulation of the firms behaviour. Economic analysis provides an understanding of how consumers, firms and markets operate, of when markets fail for lack of competition and of the consequences of policy interventions.  Legal analysis is necessary because the courts establish standards and provide the framework within which competition agencies have to operate.  The design and development of policies, as well as the bodies that implement them, require an understanding from political science.  Our research applies each of these disciplines individually and together to achieve real-world policy relevance without compromising academic rigour.

Who We Are

The CCP was established on 1st September 2004 and its funding was renewed in 2009 as a 10 year Centre of research excellence, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).

Based at the University of East Anglia, the CCP has 24 academic faculty members working on the Centre's research programme, 3 or 4 of whom are based full-time in the Centre each semester. Also undertaking and contributing to the research are 5 Research Associates, 3 Post Doctoral Research Fellows, and 25 PhD students (each of whom has at least one supervisor who is a CCP member). 

CCP has close links with, but is independent of, regulatory authorities, including the European Commission, Competition Commission, Office of Fair Trading, BIS, Ofgem, Ofcom, World Bank and with private sector practitioners.

The Centre produces a regular series of working papers, policy briefings and publications, and a bi-annual newsletter with short articles reflecting our recent research. An e-bulletin keeps academics and practitioners in touch with publications and events, and there is a lively programme of conferences, workshops and practitioner seminars throughout the year.