The Causes of Competition Agency Ineffectiveness in Developing Countries

Examining the administrative and operational difficulties as well as the successes and failures of developing country competition law enforcement activities can help policymakers address the numerous difficulties accompanying the implementation of competition policies. As Umut Aydin and Tim Büthe explain in the introductory article of this symposium, there are a variety of criteria that should be taken into account when assessing performance, and those criteria vary across countries depending on the overall goals of the agencies themselves. Nonetheless, it is a task that is evidently necessary given the variation in performance across the world’s competition policy enforcement agencies, as the statistical appendix to this article demonstrates. To this end, this symposium has brought together an impressive array of interdisciplinary experts, practitioners, and scholars—all charged with critically appraising the successes and shortcomings of competition policy programs worldwide. By assembling both the “lessons learned” as well as derivative recommendations or remedies that address shortcomings, it is expected that policymakers and practitioners can