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F EDERAL C OMPETITION A UTHORITY Austria Birgit Schwabl-Drobir. Session 4. Promotion of Competition . Independent Market Players. F EDERAL C OMPETITION A UTHORITY Promotion of Competition (1). - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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Session 4.Promotion of Competition.
Independent Market Players.
FEDERAL COMPETITION AUTHORITY
Austria
Birgit Schwabl-Drobir
Austrian Federal Competition Authority p. 2 / 11
FEDERAL COMPETITION AUTHORITY
Promotion of Competition (1)
• Rise transparency to foster competition:
Input of the Federal Competiton Authority:
- Periodical newsletter regarding the developments in the fuel market
- Various investigations on specific topics in that market:
intrastate price differentials; the formation of prices; market entries; consequences of weekdays, public holidays and vacations on the fuel prices; effect of recommended prices on prices in reality; development
of margins at fuel stations (differentiated between highway and non-highway stations); etc.
Austrian Federal Competition Authority p. 3 / 11
• Rise transparency to foster competition:
Input of the Ministry of Economics:
- Regulation concerning the time of fuel price increases:price increases are only allowed once a day at 12 p.m., decreases are always permitted
- Electronic calculator of cheapest fuel prices nearby available in the Net:
price increases have to be reported immediately, price decreases within 30 minutes by every operator of a gas station
(implemented in August 2011)
FEDERAL COMPETITION AUTHORITY
Promotion of Competition (2)
Austrian Federal Competition Authority p. 4 / 11
• Screenshot of the calculator:
insert locationselect type
of fuel
FEDERAL COMPETITION AUTHORITY
Promotion of Competition (3)
Austrian Federal Competition Authority p. 5 / 11
• Screenshot of the calculator:
prices of the 5 cheapest stations
distance (air line)
10 nearest gas stations
FEDERAL COMPETITION AUTHORITY
Promotion of Competition (4)
Austrian Federal Competition Authority p. 6 / 11
• In Austria, fuel prices are below the European average:
FEDERAL COMPETITION AUTHORITY
Prospects for Independent Players (1)
Austrian Federal Competition Authority p. 7 / 11
• In Austria, fuel prices are below the European average:
FEDERAL COMPETITION AUTHORITY
Prospects for Independent Players (2)
Austrian Federal Competition Authority p. 8 / 11
• The number of gas stations is decreasing:
FEDERAL COMPETITION AUTHORITY
Prospects for Independent Players (3)
Austrian Federal Competition Authority p. 9 / 11
• Nevertheless, there are prospects for independent players:
An example from Austria:
- As of 2009 a market entrant opens up gas station machines on parking areas of a discount store, no service but low prices
- Incumbents nearby undercut prices to push the newcomer out of the market
- With requests for information the Competition Authority controlled for a consistent proceeding with antitrust law
- By now the newcomer is active in the market and responsible for a lower fuel price level in the provinces in question
FEDERAL COMPETITION AUTHORITY
Prospects for Independent Players (4)
Austrian Federal Competition Authority p. 10 / 11
• Periodical monitoring (via newsletter) and case-related monitoring(via investigations) mainly by means of:
- Daily fuel prices from ~ 1.800 (~ 66%) gas stations provided by thedrivers association
- Price data of all 2.700 gas stations located in Austria as a result of the electronic calculator (time series from August 2011 onwards)
New possibilities for analysis due to these data!
FEDERAL COMPETITION AUTHORITY
Monitoring Independent Market Participants.
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