Volker Wieland warns with Kronberger Kreis against restricting competition in the name of climate protection

Weakening antitrust law is not likely to make it easier or better to achieve climate protection targets. This is the assessment of the members of the Kronberg Circle, including Prof. Volker Wieland, in their latest study. In the publication entitled "Green Deal at the expense of competition?", the five economists and one lawyer analyze the effects of "sustainability cartels". The background to this is a draft guideline from the European Commission, according to which agreements between companies are to be permitted if they have a "collective benefit" that outweighs the disadvantages for consumers in the form of higher prices or less choice.

In their analysis, Prof. Lars Feld, Prof. Clemens Fuest, Prof. Justus Haucap, Prof. Heike Schweitzer, Prof. Volker Wieland and Prof. Berthold Wigger take stock of existing private sustainability cooperations and conclude that companies' contributions to climate protection are almost always based on individual incentives for companies to operate more sustainably. Moreover, the contribution of competition restrictions to environmental and climate protection has been small so far, they say. "The damage to competition law that would accompany the reform proposals, some of which are far-reaching, would be great in comparison," the study says.The EU Commission's plans could come into force without the approval of the member states. The Kronberger Kreis, founded in 1982, develops regulatory reform concepts with the aim of further developing the liberal order in Germany and Europe. "More courage for the market" is the motto of the Kronberger Kreis, the scientific advisory board of the Stiftung Marktwirtschaft.

Kronberger-Kreis-Studie Nr. 69: "Green Deal auf Kosten des Wettbewerbs?" (PDF)