The Issue of Proving the Illegality of Cartels and the Discretion of Regulatory Authorities

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K01559
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 07010:Economic theory-related
• Research Institution: Nagoya City University
• Principal Investigator: Hamaguchi Yasuyo 名古屋市立大学, 大学院経済学研究科, 准教授 (70399038)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 独占禁止法 / 課徴金減免制度 / 経済実験

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The Antimonopoly Law, which was revised in 2028, introduced an investigation cooperation reduction system to the surcharge reduction and exemption system. Under this new system, the JFTC has greater discretion in determining the rate of reduction of surcharges for firms ranked second or lower in the order of application to the system. The purpose of this study was to examine whether the investigative cooperation surcharge system may provide an incentive for firms applying for the system to provide less evidence. An economic experiment revealed that firms' profits were significantly higher when they were allowed to change the amount of evidence compared to when they were not allowed to change the amount of evidence.

Free Research Field

実験経済学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

調査協力減算制度が導入された背景は，以前の課徴金減免制度ではカルテルの証拠が十分に集まら なかったためである．本研究の成果は，このような改正が従来の課徴金減免制度を改善できるかを検証するものであるので，今後の同制度の運用に対して社会的意義のある研究である．また，経済学理論を検証する仮説としているので，学術的には複数のナッシュ均衡がある状況で，どのような均衡が選ばれやすいかを調べるものである，選ばれる均衡に系統だった傾向が発見できた本研究は，経済学理論に対しても，学術的な意義のある研究である．