A compilation of the scale, nature and focus of competition cases examined and reported by the UK competition authorities 1950-2005. This includes both 'market' and 'merger' cases and includes a summary of the key business issues raised in each case. The ESRC Centre for Competition Policy (CCP) at the University of East Anglia (UEA) undertakes interdisciplinary research into competition policy and regulation that has real-world policy relevance without compromising academic rigour. It prides itself on the interdisciplinary nature of the research and the members are drawn from a range of disciplines, including economics, law, business and political science. The Centre was established in September 2004, building on the pre-existing Centre for Competition and Regulation (CCR), with a grant from the ESRC (Economic and Social Research Council). It currently boasts a total of 26 faculty members (including the Director and a Political Science Mentor), 4 full- and part-time researchers and 23 PhD students.

The competition authority investigations examined are drawn from the 504 cases published by the UK Competition Commission over the period 1950 (the first year from which the cases are publicly available) to 2005. From this population, all cases examining competition within a market are selected (n=162). This predetermined selection was made to focus only on cases examining potential competition law violations within a specified economic market. These competition cases are investigated following a reference under UK competition law, currently defined as sections 131 and 132 in the Enterprise Act (2002). The cases which report on mergers, public utilities, reviews of industry practices or media assets were not considered as these cases are undertaken for reasons other than the assessment of anti-competitive conditions and often follow a reference outside competition law. Further details in included documentation.