EU/U.S. Cooperation in the Area of Competition Policy

The 20^th anniversary of the EU-U.S. Cooperation Agreement takes place in an era of globalisation and increasing competition challenges. Highlighting the importance of cooperation between the different competition agencies is in the interest of both market players and consumers.

The European Union successfully cooperates with the U.S. competition authorities (the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission) on the basis of the 1991 Cooperation Agreement and the 1998 Positive Comity Agreement. Today, twenty years after its signature, the U.S. authorities represent the Commission’s most frequent cooperation partner.

This paper will look at the development of this bilateral cooperative regime, focusing on the main areas covered, looking at achievements, and stressing areas in which effectiveness and efficiency could be improved by means of further collaboration.