Competition Enforcement versus Sector Regulation: An International Perspective

Competition policy and sector regulation each play important roles in any modern market economy. Sometimes they pursue similar goals with distinct methods, ideally reflecting the comparative advantages of each approach. At other times they pursue goals that may be both worthwhile but also distinct and potentially conflicting. Intelligent public policy will recognize the strengths and weaknesses of each approach, and work to reconcile regulatory goals with the benefits of competition, either through ex ante competition assessment, or ex post coordination between agencies.