Cartel damage - a comparative analysis with a particular focus on volume effects along the supply chain

卡特尔损害对私营执法部门构成了特别挑战。卡特尔损害作为一个整体也是如此，尤其是卡特尔供应链上的体积效应造成的损害。它们构成了购买者在不得不提高自己的价格(由于卡特尔要价过高)时由于需求减少而损失的利润方面的损害。关于音量效应，有一个明显的研究空白。它们在法律程序中往往被忽视，尽管从经济角度来看，这种损害可能是巨大的。卡特尔损害赔偿指令2014/104/EU的主要目标是实现“全额赔偿”。因此，它侧重于因支付的过高收费而造成的损害。然而，当超额收费被转嫁时，它忽略了由于体积效应而造成的利润损失的维度，使其听起来似乎可以很容易地索赔，而且也独立于其他损害组成部分。在需要协调涉及相互关联的损害成分(过度充电、传递、音量效应)的诉讼程序方面，这仍然是非常肤浅的。因此，该指令将实施有效损害赔偿制度的责任主要放在个别成员国手中。它为他们提供了关于这种实施的一定自由。因此，应对一些有希望的欧洲成员国的法律进行分析，以了解它们是否有能力实施一种充分注意数量效应的有效执行制度。这里建议的荷兰竞争法比较研究是一个更广泛的研究项目的一部分，该项目旨在进行比较法律分析，并首先进行经济分析，以评价不同的法律解决办法。除荷兰外，德国和西班牙被选为有希望的候选国。整个项目非常及时和紧迫，以加强最近实施的卡特尔损害赔偿指令的有效性。在私人执行竞争法方面，还有许多需要改进的地方--欧洲在这方面收集的经验相当少。跨学科研究具有明显的附加值，然而，它远远不是规则。

Cartel damage constitutes a particular challenge for private law enforcement. This is true for cartel damage as a whole but in particular for damage resulting from volume effects along a cartel’s supply chain. They constitute the damage that purchasers suffer in terms of lost profits due to a reduction in demand when they have to increase their own prices (due to the cartel overcharge). Regarding volume effects there is a clear research gap. They are often neglected in legal proceedings even though from an economic point of view such damage can be substantial. The main objective of the Cartel Damages Directive 2014/104/EU is the attainment of "full compensation". It, thereby, focuses on damage resulting from the overcharge paid. However, it neglects the dimension of loss of profit resulting from a volume effect whenever the overcharge was passed on making it sound as if this damage component could be claimed easily and also independently from other damage components. It remains very superficial when it comes to the need to coordinate proceedings that concern interlinked damage components (overcharge, pass-on, volume effect). Thereby, the Directive places the responsibility to implement an effective damages regime largely in the hands of the individual Member States. It provides them with a certain freedom as to such implementation. Hence, the laws in a number of promising European Member States shall be analysed to understand if they were capable of implementing an effective enforcement system that pays sufficient attention to volume effects.A comparative study on Dutch competition law, as it is suggested here, forms part of a broader research project (in the context of a Habilitation) that seeks to carry out a comparative legal analysis and on top an economic analysis to evaluate the different legal solutions. Aside of the Netherlands, Germany and Spain were selected as promising candidates.The entire project is highly timely and urgent to enhance the effectiveness of the rather recently implemented Cartel Damages Directive. There is a lot to improve when it comes to private enforcement of competition law – rather few experiences have been gathered in Europe in this regard. Interdisciplinary research has a clear added value, however, it is far from being the rule.