As part of its market monitoring activities, the Commission's competition department has published a number of studies produced by external consultants relating to the automotive sector.
The studies included in this section were produced by external entities for or on behalf of the Commission and represent their authors' views. These views have not been adopted or in any way approved by the Commission and should not be relied upon as stating the views of the Commission or its competition department. The Commission does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in these studies, nor does it accept responsibility for any use made thereof.
You will also find selected articles from the Competition News.
Car price reports
Between 1993 and 2011, the Commission has published annually the "Report on car prices within the European Union" ("Car Price Report"). This report has been discontinued.
When the report was launched, there were major car price differences among Member States, and it was much more difficult for consumers to compare prices across borders. Since then, the situation has improved greatly, in part due to enforcement action by the Commission, and also thanks to the increased availability of price information on the internet. This means there is no longer a need for the Commission to duplicate this information in the Car Price Report.
The Commission has progressively treated car sales the same as the sale of products in other economic sectors. When EU antitrust rules on vertical agreements in the car sector were reformed in 2010, the Commission did not find any significant competition shortcomings in the new cars sector that might require specific rules. However, specific provisions were adopted for the distribution of spare parts and the provision of repair and maintenance services in car aftermarkets. (See Regulation 461/2010).
The Commission continues to monitor the competitive situation on the new cars market, as well as the markets for spare parts and repair and maintenance, in cooperation with National Competition Authorities. The Commission is committed to safeguard competition in this sector and will not hesitate to take the necessary enforcement action if problems arise.
Archive: Car price reports (1993-2011)
External studies
External studies published by The Commission's competition department
- Study by London Economics on Developments in car retailing and after-sales markets under Regulation 1400/2002 June 2006
- Study by IKA on access to technical information in the car sector October 2004
- Press release - IP/04/1235, 15.10.2004
- Quantitative Study to Define the Relevant Market in the Passenger Car Sector by Frank Verboven, K.U. Leuven (PDF) September 2002
- Customer Preferences for existing and potential Sales and Servicing Alternatives in Automotive Distribution, by Dr. Lademann & Partner (PDF 470 KB) December 2001
- Study on the impact of possible future legislative scenarios for motor vehicle distribution on all parties concerned (ZIP) - Andersen − December 2001
- Press release - IP/01/1781 - 10.12.2001
- Car Price Differentials in the European Union: An Economic Analysis, by Hans Degryse and Frank Verboven, K.U. Leuven and C.E.P.R. (PDF) November 2000
- The Natural Link between Sales and Service, by Autopolis (PDF) November 2000
Articles
- The new competition framework for vertical agreements in the motor vehicle sector
by John Clark, Stephan Simon and Axel Bierer - Multi-brand distribution and access to repairer networks under Motor Vehicle Block Exemption Regulation 1400/2002: the experience of the BMW and General Motors cases
Competition Policy Newsletter, Summer 2006, page 33 - Parallel import of motor vehicles: the Peugeot case
Competition Policy Newsletter, Spring 2006, page 49 - The first case of application of the new motor vehicle block exemption regulation: AUDI’s authorised repairers
Competition Policy Newsletter, Summer 2003, page 53