Project description
Re-assessing partial ownership of competitors in Europe
As companies expand and capital markets continue to evolve, corporate ownership has become increasingly more dispersed and intermediated while passive financial investment strategies are more common. As a byproduct of this complex market setting, partial ownership of competing firms is ubiquitous, raising serious questions about the implications for industrial organisation and product market competition. The EU-funded PARTOWNEU project explores the legality of this situation under EU competition law and clarifies the causes and consequences of partial ownership links among rival firms. In particular, the research explores the hidden costs for EU consumers and long-term effects for the EU economy and society of potentially harmful partial ownership, examining its substantive and governance aspects within the EU context. The research intends to produce new scientific knowledge for policymakers and public enforcers, EU citizens and business operating in Europe.
Objective
What happens when you acquire a stake in a rival firm? Are you expected to continue competing on the market as before? While partial ownership is ubiquitous, its competitive implications are traditionally underplayed under the dogma ‘small is innocent’. Yet, this project asks: Is this EU legal position justified; to what extent; in what cases? Ultimately, what is the price for EU consumers or society to pay for any harmful effects of partial ownership beyond any efficiency gains? If the price is high, should Europe move up a gear? Or are there countervailing costs and trade-offs to be considered before deciding legal reform? With increasing stock market investing, dispersed ownership of public companies and financial intermediation in Europe too, potential concerns gain new dimensions. EU policy may not just be inert but in a wrong direction: one-sided push for a Capital Market Union or increased shareholders’ rights may amplify the EU competition law problem. The research is set to explore the hidden costs and long-term consequences of partial ownership by examining both its different substantive (competition vs corporate law) and governance (EU vs national laws) aspects in the EU context. By means of economic, multi-level legal and empirical analysis the research aims to assess whether there is a regulatory gap in Europe and if so, a solution is necessary and desirable. The supervisor with his cross-disciplinary expertise (EU law; competition & corporate law) and stellar academics in my research areas (business law; finance/microeconomics) associated with LU provide an ideal setting for the project to be effectively implemented. The research will produce new scientific knowledge; training benefits for my future academic career and societal impact (policymaking; public awareness) for stakeholders and the EU economy and democracy. For the sake of all, Europe should bridge the knowledge gap and not be left behind, when action may come as ‘too little too late’.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- social sciences sociology governance
- social sciences economics and business economics microeconomics
- social sciences political sciences government systems democracy
- social sciences law
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
MSCA-IF-EF-ST - Standard EF
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2018
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
22100 Lund
Sweden
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.