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Statement on the Digital Networks Act
Europe should focus on completing the digital single market with competition as guiding principle and refrain from distorting well-functioning internet interconnection markets.
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Setting the right Course now
13. June 2025: Monopolies Commission Warns: Special Rail Fund Must Be Used for a Real New Start
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Defence Spending Needs a Shake-Up
The Monopolies Commission is calling for an urgent transformation of defence procurement to remove bureaucratic barriers while safeguarding competition.
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Digital ecosystems
The Monopolies Commission has developed an economic test concept for the identification of digital ecosystems and recommends that Section 19a GWB should be targeted explicitly to deal with digital ecosystems.
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Policy Brief on competition in the food supply chains
February 8 2024: In its thirteenth Policy Brief, the Monopolies Commission recommends that interventions in agricultural markets or food supply chains to strengthen the market position of farmers should only be made cautiously and on a clear factual basis.
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9th Sector Report Railways (2023): “Time to GO: Finally quality effective in competition!“

Sector Report on German railway markets pursuant to Sec. 78 of the Railway Regulation Act, July 4, 2023


  1. The planned restructuring of the Deutsche Bahn (DB) Group offers opportunities for competition in the railway sector. To this end, the new infrastructure unit InfraGo should be economically and organizationally independent.
  2. A prerequisite for stimulating competition and increasing the attractiveness of rail is higher infrastructure quality. The Monopolies Commission, therefore, recommends a new qualityoriented regulatory framework for charges.
  3. Innovative sales service providers of digital tickets can also contribute to quality, provided they are given access to all real-time and forecast infrastructure data relevant to competition. InfraGo would have to make this data equally available to all competitors.

Read more …

Policy Brief on the question whether data traffic-intensive over-the-top (OTT) providers should contribute to the network expansion costs of telecommunications companies

Policy Brief | Issue 12 | May 12, 2023


The European Commission has launched a consultation on the question whether data traffic-intensive over-the-top (OTT) providers should contribute to the network expansion costs of telecommunications companies. In its policy brief „A contribution from data traffic-intensive over-the-top (OTT) providers to the costs of telecommunications network expansion should be rejected!“ published today, the Monopolies Commission takes a critical view. Currently, the Monopolies Commission does not consider a regulatory intervention to be justified that forces OTT providers to pay telecommunications companies:

  1. According to the current assessment of the Monopolies Commission, new conditions in peering and transit markets do not legitimize a contribution for network expansion costs, because it is not apparent that OTT providers exploit their increased bargaining power.
  2. There are no indications that a redistribution mechanism between OTT providers and telecommunications companies would improve the market situation. However, such intervention may cause distortions of competition.
  3. The financial resources for fixed and mobile network expansion are sufficient.

Download Policy Brief

Policy Brief on the planned hospital reform

Policy Brief | Issue 11 | February 13, 2023


In its policy brief published today, "Adjusting flat rates for hospitals, ensuring the need for care, maintaining competition," the Monopolies Commission supports the introduction of flat rates for hospitals proposed by the Hospital Commission. At the same time, it makes a significant proposal for changes that would make it possible to achieve the goals of financially securing hospitals' need for care and maintaining quality competition. The Monopolies Commission specifically recommends the following to the Federal Government/Länder Group, which is currently discussing the implementation of the announced financing reform:

  1. tie the reserve budgets to structural differences in regional supply costs that cannot be influenced, and
  2. test the compensation factors empirically by an expert opinion.

Download Policy Brief (in German language only)

Special Report 83 (in German language only)

Policy Brief on electricity markets

Policy Brief | Issue 10 | October 11, 2022


In its tenth policy brief, "Further Development of Electricity Markets, Designing a Price Cap in Conformity with Competition", the Monopolies Commission makes recommendations on the electricity price cap. The Monopolies Commission recommends that a response to price increases on the electricity market should be designed in a targeted manner and in line with the market:

  1. The electricity market design should be retained but further developed in the medium term.
  2. The cap for additional revenues (windfall profits) should - as far as possible - be carried out uniformly for conventional power generators, taking forward contracts into account.
  3. The top priority in providing relief to consumers must be to avoid weakening incentives to save energy. At the same time, the neediness of the households to be relieved should be taken into account.

Download Policy Brief

About Us

Monopolkommission 2024

Prof. Dr. Tomaso Duso (Chairman)

Constanze Buchheim
Pamela Knapp
Dagmar Kollmann
Prof. Dr. Rupprecht Podszun

Our Mission and Contact

 

 

9th Sector Report Railways (2023): “Time to GO: Finally quality effective in competition!“

Sector Report on German railway markets pursuant to Sec. 78 of the Railway Regulation Act, July 4, 2023


  1. The planned restructuring of the Deutsche Bahn (DB) Group offers opportunities for competition in the railway sector. To this end, the new infrastructure unit InfraGo should be economically and organizationally independent.
  2. A prerequisite for stimulating competition and increasing the attractiveness of rail is higher infrastructure quality. The Monopolies Commission, therefore, recommends a new qualityoriented regulatory framework for charges.
  3. Innovative sales service providers of digital tickets can also contribute to quality, provided they are given access to all real-time and forecast infrastructure data relevant to competition. InfraGo would have to make this data equally available to all competitors.

Read more …

Policy Brief on the question whether data traffic-intensive over-the-top (OTT) providers should contribute to the network expansion costs of telecommunications companies

Policy Brief | Issue 12 | May 12, 2023


The European Commission has launched a consultation on the question whether data traffic-intensive over-the-top (OTT) providers should contribute to the network expansion costs of telecommunications companies. In its policy brief „A contribution from data traffic-intensive over-the-top (OTT) providers to the costs of telecommunications network expansion should be rejected!“ published today, the Monopolies Commission takes a critical view. Currently, the Monopolies Commission does not consider a regulatory intervention to be justified that forces OTT providers to pay telecommunications companies:

  1. According to the current assessment of the Monopolies Commission, new conditions in peering and transit markets do not legitimize a contribution for network expansion costs, because it is not apparent that OTT providers exploit their increased bargaining power.
  2. There are no indications that a redistribution mechanism between OTT providers and telecommunications companies would improve the market situation. However, such intervention may cause distortions of competition.
  3. The financial resources for fixed and mobile network expansion are sufficient.

Download Policy Brief

Policy Brief on the planned hospital reform

Policy Brief | Issue 11 | February 13, 2023


In its policy brief published today, "Adjusting flat rates for hospitals, ensuring the need for care, maintaining competition," the Monopolies Commission supports the introduction of flat rates for hospitals proposed by the Hospital Commission. At the same time, it makes a significant proposal for changes that would make it possible to achieve the goals of financially securing hospitals' need for care and maintaining quality competition. The Monopolies Commission specifically recommends the following to the Federal Government/Länder Group, which is currently discussing the implementation of the announced financing reform:

  1. tie the reserve budgets to structural differences in regional supply costs that cannot be influenced, and
  2. test the compensation factors empirically by an expert opinion.

Download Policy Brief (in German language only)

Special Report 83 (in German language only)

Policy Brief on electricity markets

Policy Brief | Issue 10 | October 11, 2022


In its tenth policy brief, "Further Development of Electricity Markets, Designing a Price Cap in Conformity with Competition", the Monopolies Commission makes recommendations on the electricity price cap. The Monopolies Commission recommends that a response to price increases on the electricity market should be designed in a targeted manner and in line with the market:

  1. The electricity market design should be retained but further developed in the medium term.
  2. The cap for additional revenues (windfall profits) should - as far as possible - be carried out uniformly for conventional power generators, taking forward contracts into account.
  3. The top priority in providing relief to consumers must be to avoid weakening incentives to save energy. At the same time, the neediness of the households to be relieved should be taken into account.

Download Policy Brief

About Us

Monopolkommission 2024

Prof. Dr. Tomaso Duso (Chairman)

Constanze Buchheim
Pamela Knapp
Dagmar Kollmann
Prof. Dr. Rupprecht Podszun

Our Mission and Contact

 

 
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