Impact of competition advocacy and market unity reforms in Spain

The European Commission provided technical support to assess the degree of compliance with the Spanish Competition Authority’s recommendations and the development of a methodology for ex-post evaluation of the Spanish Competition Authority’s activity to promote better regulation in Spain.

Context

The Spanish Competition Authority requested technical support as it sought to improve its capacity to evaluate its advocacy and market unity action by setting up a mechanism that would enable the measurement of the impact of its advocacy tools. At the same time, the Authority wanted to know the concrete impact in terms of economic welfare of its advocacy and market unity interventions in particular cases.

Support delivered

The products delivered through this project were:

• database on the regulatory and administrative acts that have been addressed by the Spanish Competition Authority’s recommendations and tools for its further update and population;
• report on the degree of compliance with the Authority’s recommendations;
• report on the design of a methodology for impact assessment of the Authority’s acts and analysis of selected cases;
• manual and training on impact assessment methodology;
• final report.

Results achieved

The beneficiary disseminated the works of the project, its methodology and its main conclusions. The deliverables are available on their website to the open public. The beneficiary also reported that the project allowed it to learn about the intense activity of the Spanish Competition Authority in the promotion of competition and market unity, the significant degree of compliance with its recommendations and the positive impact that efficient economic regulation can have on consumer welfare.