The Ecology of Antitrust: Preconditions for Competition Law Enforcement in Developing Countries

The number of developing countries that have adopted a competition law has grown exponentially over the past two decades. Yet the mere adoption of a competition law is a necessary but not sufficient condition for it to be part of market reform. Just as ecological conditions determine the ability of a flower to bloom, so do some preconditions affect the ability to apply a competition law effectively. This study seeks to identify the ecology of antitrust in developing countries: the soil, sun, water and pesticides of competition law adoption and enforcement. In particular, it analyzes the socio-economic ideology (soil), the institutional and organizational conditions (sun and water), and the political economy conditions (pesticides) that are necessary for competition law to bloom. It does so based on a theoretical framework as well as by analyzing the experiences of developing countries in applying competition laws.