ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF COMPETITION AUTHORITIES' ACTIVITIES
WP2 16 June 2025
Greg Jackson
Competition Expert
OECD Competition Division
What are impact assessments?
• Ex - ante
• Straightforward calculations
• Focused on direct customer benefits (price effects)
• Assumptions used if no case specific data is available
Mergers Cartels Abuses of dominance
Affected turnover All the firms in the affected markets Companies under investigation in the affected markets
Source: OECD (2014), Guide for assessing the impact of competition authorities’ activities, https://doi.org/10.1787/c92c2cd0- en.
Purpose and limitations of ex ante impact assessments
Transparency and communication
Communicate consumer benefits in a way which is easy to understand
Annual report, standalone publication, Press
Demonstrating value for money
Comparisons with budget of competition authority (mandated or voluntary)
Setting priorities
Understand which interventions have the greatest impact
Limitations of using for priority setting
Only direct benefits measured, some cases may be important for deterrence or dynamic effects
Prioritising cases where the impact is easier to measure
Is there scope to review the 2014 guidance?
Are assumptions in line with practice? Are assumptions in line with the literature and ex post? Should the scope be expanded? Is more clarity and detail needed?
Access the 2014 OECD Guide
